Assassination Boardroom
by sleepy-emo
Summary: My name is Nagisa Shiota. By day I am a teacher at a junior high school but by night I am one of the best assassins in the business. It's been a while since I've had a target but now I've got a new job to complete. My latest target, my old best friend: Karma Akabane...
1. For Whom The Death Bell Tolls

**Hey guys :D so I recently watched this series and fell in love with it and I really liked the idea of writing a future story involving Nagisa and Karma because, let's face it, they're both totally in love with each other haha anyway hope you enjoy, for the smutty stuff turn to chapter 8 (you're welcome) and sorry if there are any mistakes I've missed in this one, it's like half 6 where I am. Enjoy 3**

I knock cautiously on the door of Karasuma's office. It's been a while since I've seen or heard from him and I'm wondering what on earth was so urgent that he calls me up and tells me to come as soon as I'm finished at school. I wait. If he's not in I'm going to be pissed after all that urgency. After a minute or two I hear a gruff 'enter' and I push the door open.

Karasuma is sitting behind his desk looking the same as ever; his hair neatly cropped, his suit wrinkle free and his eyes as cold and focused as I've ever seen them. Whatever he has called me for it isn't to play catch up. I make my way over to his desk, after closing the door behind me, and giving him a quick bow.

"You wanted to see me Sir?" I ask. It feels like I'm back in Junior High again and have been sent to his office because I'm in trouble. He doesn't seem to notice this.

"Have a seat," he says nodding to the chair in front of his desk. I sit down but more perching on the edge than actually making myself comfortable. "I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here this evening."

"A little," I admit. "You sounded so insistent on the phone."

"I called you here this evening because I have a job for you," he says.

"What kind of job?" I ask after a pause. I know exactly what kind of job, I just want to hear him say it.

"An assassination job," he replies, "I have a target I need you to take care of." And there it is.

My name is Nagisa Shiota. By day I'm your usual under-paid, over-worked teacher but by night I am an assassin. I'm one of the best in the business, my first kill being at fifteen, and there is no one I can't take out. People call me The Viper because I'm silent, calculated, deadly and you won't know what's hit you until it's too late.

"It's been a while since you've asked me to take someone out," I say. "Your new recruits not up to scratch?"

"You'll see why it has to be you when you see the target," he tells me.

Now I'm intrigued. Someone who only I can kill... that hasn't happened in a while either. Karasuma tends to call me in only as a last resort these days as he knows that I'm a teacher, first and foremost, but this is new. This is different. This is a target that might not be such an easy kill, I may have to work for this one.

"I know you don't like to be away from your students for too long so we will do everything we can to help this assignment run as quickly and smoothly as possible," he says.

"So who's the target?" I asked. His building suspense techniques are starting to wear thin and I just want to know so I can get out of here and get planning if this target is going to be as difficult to kill as he says. I doubt it's going to be another Korosensei so I'm sure I'll be fine on that front. No more targets that can break the sound barrier and are impervious to everything, thank you very much.

Karasuma stands and hands me a blue folder. I take it from him. It feels oddly heavy for a such a thin folder. Without saying anything to him I open it out on my lap to see the face of my target and I stop, my entire body frozen in place for second.

Staring back at me, looking exactly how I remembered him the last time I saw him at the end of High School, was Karma Akabane.

My head starts to spin and I don't feel as if I can get enough air into my lungs. Karasuma can't seriously want me to take out Karma, can he? Judging by the fact that he hasn't told me he's made a mistake and given me another, identical folder I would say that he probably does. I don't think I can handle this.

"What?"

"Turns out Karma has been making quite the name for himself over the last few years," Karasuma said, "and the government has deemed him 'unsafe' and he needs to be taken out."

"But why though?" I ask, still trying to wrap my head around Karma being my target. What could he have done that would warrant the government needing to have him killed?

"We have reason to believe the company he works for has connections to organisations with weapons of mass destruction," Karasuma says, "along with a group of scientists who think they can remake the tentacle formula."

"So shut down the company," I say. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this but all I know if that I can't even begin to think about killing Karma right now.

"It's not that simple Nagisa," Karasuma says and that feeling, as if I'm just a kid in Junior High again begins creeping back.

"Why isn't it?" I ask.

"Karma is a very persuasive individual, you know this," Karasuma says. "If he is allowed to continue in the position he is currently in then we could end up with a full scale international disaster on our hands. It has to be done, my hands are tied on this one, sorry."

"Okay," I say calmly. I close the folder and place it on the edge of his desk. "Then find someone else to do it."

"What?"

"Find someone else to take out Karma," I say.

"Nagisa this has to be you," he says.

"I don't kill people I know," I say and there is a definite edge to my voice. He can't seriously have forgotten why that is my one and only rule. His expression remains neutral so I decide to enlighten him. "The first one was hard enough."

"And I'm sorry that I'm the one to be putting you through this again, Nagisa, but for this to have even the slightest chance of working then it has to be you who kills him," he says.

"But why though?" I ask after a pause.

"Karma was part of the Assassination Classroom," Karasuma says. "He knows the tricks of the trade, anyone else he'll see coming a mile away. He's too much for the rookies and he knows the profiles of anyone else I could send to do the job. You he won't suspect."

"Karma and I haven't seen or spoken to each other since High School," I say. "He's going to be suspicious if I suddenly turn up after fifteen years without warning."

"Oh..." Karasuma says and finally shows some emotion (seriously, how does Professor Bitch deal with this guy being so cold all the time?) as he seems surprised to hear that Karma and I became estranged. "I would have thought that you and Karma, of all people, would still be in regular contact with each other, given how close the two of you were. What happened?"

"We had our reasons," I say. I could hardly tell Karasuma the real reason why Karma and I lost touch with each other.

On the anniversary of Korosensei's death, before the both of us left for university, Karma and I went up to the mountains and our old Junior High classroom to drink. We both drank more than we intended to and, without thinking, I kissed him. I'd been waiting to do it for years and alcohol finally granted me the courage. He kissed me back, things got heated and I lost my virginity to him up against the old sports equipment shed. We had fallen asleep in each others arms and, when I awoke the next morning I was hung-over and couldn't face Karma telling me that the night before had been a mistake so I pulled on the rest of my clothes and ran. I ignored his phone calls and texts and eventually he stopped calling.

Seeing him again now, after all these years, is going to be weird...

"Well hopefully, if the set up we have goes to plan, then it won't look suspicious when you suddenly reappear again," Karasuma says. I say nothing, I don't agree but whatever. "We have it on good authority that Karma is going to be hiring a new personal assistant so we can use that as our window to get you in."

"Hang on wait, you want me to take time off work for this?" I ask. He can't be serious! I have classes and students and I can't just walk away from that for however long he predicts this will take.

"Yes," he says matter-of-factly. "I took the liberty of speaking to the principal of your school. I have requested cover for you while you take a leave of absence for personal matters that I did not disclose."

"I haven't agreed to this," I say, "please don't make these decisions for me."

"The reward for doing this is lucrative," Karasuma says, as if he can bribe me with money. He should know me better than that by now. "It should more that cover the weeks you miss teaching."

"You're still asking me to kill one of my old friends," I say. "It is not going to be as easy to win me round to the idea as you seem to think."

"Nagisa I'm sorry that I have to do this to you again but we need you," he says, imploring me.

I stop and think for a moment. Could I do it? When it actually comes to the moment where I have a gun in my hand or a knife at his throat can I actually bring myself to do it? I did it once before, I suppose, but when I killed Korosensei I had the rest of my class rallying around me (including Korosensei). This time I'm going to have to be the one to pick up my own broken pieces when all is said and done. On the other hand Karasuma is relentless in his persuasion; he will stop at nothing until I agree.

I sigh. I really am backed into a corner on this one and I guess he _has_ already covered my class for me... and I guess it would be nice to see Karma again (hopefully he will have forgotten about my hitting it and quitting it).

"Fine," I say. "I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask for," Karasuma replies and I just give him a tight lipped smile.

My name is Nagisa Shiota. By day I'm your usual under-paid, over-worked teacher but by night I am an assassin. I'm one of the best in the business and there is no one I can't take out. My new target, my old best friend; Karma Akabane...


	2. Interview With A Sociopath

**Here's the second chapter, hope you enjoy :D oh Karma you're such a cheeky boy :p**

I readjust my tie for about the fourth or fifth time and run a hand over my hair to flatten it. He's going to recognise me anyway so I don't know why I'm bothering – how many Nagisa Shiotas are out there with bright blue hair? There are butterflies in my stomach and I'm a mess of nerves. Not only am I nervous about seeing Karma again but I'm also a bit fucked over the idea of the interview. I've only had one job and I've been doing that for ten years!

It's not like it really matters, the interview is just a formality anyway. Ultimately if I don't get the job it's fine, it will still be my way or re-opening communication with Karma. I am fidgeting a bit too much though (god, what is wrong with me? I'm usually better than this). The girl sitting next to me turns and smiles at me trying to look comforting. Yep, definitely fidgeting too much...

"Are you alright?" she asks. I let out an embarrassed laugh.

"I'm fine," I reply, "just a little nervous."

"Is this your first interview?" she asks. Do I look that young? I guess I do, I mean I haven't grown all that much since Junior High... god, Karma is going to tower over me! No, don't jump on that train of thought, that leads to Karma having to pick me up so that our faces are level... Stop it! You're here for a job not to get it on with you old school crush! The fact that Karma is also sort of my ex (and definitely my first love) should not get in the way of what I'm supposed to be doing here. The girl is looking at me expectantly and I realise that I have yet to give her an answer.

"Sort of," I reply.

"What do you mean sort of?" she asks.

"I've had the same job for ten years so I haven't had to interview much," I reply.

"What?" she cries in surprise. "How old are you?" Okay I clearly do look that young.

"I'm thirty-three," I say, grinning sheepishly.

"What?!" She's getting shriller and shriller and I am saved by the door opposite us opening and a pretty girl with long brown hair and bright green eyes stepping out.

"Shiota, Nagisa?" she asks clearly not knowing which one of us she is supposed to be addressing. I stand up and smile at her.

"That's me," I say. She gives me a smile and a small nod.

"Mr Akabane will see you now. If you would like to follow me." She turns and leads me through the door. Inside is another small room, which I assume is her part of the office, and another door opposite the one we just came through. She goes to sit behind her desk. "If you would like to go through, Mr Akabane is waiting for you."

"Thank you," I say giving her a small bow. I go over to stand by the door. I readjust my tie and fiddle with my hair once more before knocking. My heart is pounding in my ears and I just about hear the 'come in' from the other side. My stomach flips. I had forgotten what that voice did to me, especially when the last thing it had been doing was whispering filthy things in my ear while we fucked.

I take a deep breath and push open the door. I step into a huge office with a desk in front of a wall length window. Behind the desk sits Karma looking exactly as he always has and I fell my breath catch in my throat. This was a bad idea, why did I let Karasuma talk me into it? Karma looks up from the notes he had previously been making and smiles at me, that same feral smile that I know so well. Like I'm a mouse and I've willingly walked into the lions den, which I sort of have.

Nagisa Shiota," he says, "as I live and breathe."

"Hi Karma," I say, shuffling awkwardly.

"Didn't think I'd ever be seeing you again," he says and I can feel my face heating up.

"L... likewise," I stammer. God damn it! I am an assassin, I should not be stammering like this. Pull it together.

"And interviewing to work for me," he chuckles.

"I just fancied a change of career," I shrug.

"Last I heard you were a teacher and I good one at that," he says.

"You keeping tabs on me?" I tease. Try and steer the conversation away from why I've suddenly decided to work for him and maybe he won't think it's too out of left field. He doesn't say anything and I wonder if I should take his silence as a yes.

"It's good to see you," he says instead.

"You too," I reply and it really is. It is good to see him and it brings back a lot of memories from when we were younger.

"Well do you want to take a seat and we can get started?" he asks and gestures to the chair opposite him.

"S... sure," I say and sit down although, much like when I was sitting opposite Karasuma a few days previous, I'm perching on the edge rather than making myself comfortable. I watch Karma shuffle a few papers around until he pulls out what I assume is my application and places it on the top of the pile.

"So, Nagisa, do you have previous experience as a personal assistant?" he asks.

"I must admit I don't," I say, "but I'm organised, focused and I'm a fast learner so I will be able to pick it up quickly."

"And would you say that those are your greatest strengths?" he asks.

"That and I'm very good at note taking, minute taking and planning," I say. Karma makes a note of something.

"Fantastic," he says, "and are you seeing anyone at the moment?" I blink at him, surprised. Did he just ask me that? He's not correcting himself or telling me that he was joking so I guess he's serious.

"Why is that relevant?" I ask. Very interested to see how he tries to talk his way out of this one.

"I'm just curious," he says. "I take the mental well-being of my employees very seriously and I like to know their home situations."

"Right..." I say elongating the word, but I don't actually offer and answer to the question. Karma seems to realise that I'm not going to.

"What would you say your biggest weakness, as an employee is?" he asks. Thank god, back on interview ground.

"Depending on the circumstances I have been known to get too emotionally involved with people or projects," I reply. He knows this – Korosensei proved that I get too emotionally involved – but he has to treat me exactly like any other person he interviews. He's being a professional about this.

"And do you make it a habit of suddenly disappearing with no word or warning?" he asks looking me dead in the eye.

Okay, maybe not... I deserved that.

"No I don't," I say.

"Good," he smiles and I shift awkwardly. This is not getting any less uncomfortable for me. He knows he's making me squirm, I can tell by the look on his face, and he's enjoying it a bit too much... bastard. "So you've been teaching for ten years, what made you decide to come and work for me?"

"I fancied a change of pace," I reply.

"And why did you want to work for me specifically?" he asks.

"What are you getting at here Karma?" I counter with a question of my own. I have a feeling I know but I want to hear him say it.

"I'm just curious," he says shrugging. "I haven't seen or heard from you for fifteen years and now you show up when I'm interviewing for a new personal assistant to spend an awful lot of time with me."

"What do you want me to say?" I ask. "That I missed you?"

"That would be nice."

"Alright I missed you," I admit, letting my emotions get the better of me for a second, "but it's not that big of a deal."

"Isn't it?" he asks.

"It's not like it was the first time we drifted apart," I reply. I see a flicker of something in his eye and I wonder if that landed just a little too close to home but it's gone before I can really hazard a guess.

"But here we are again," he says. "Can't stay away from each other."

"If you say anything about souls passing in the night of some nonsense like that I will leave," I say glaring at him and he grins.

"Oh come on Nagisa," he chuckles. "I'm just messing with you."

"Yeah you haven't changed in the slightest."

"Would you have wanted me to?" he asks.

"I don't know," I reply and I don't. I don't know if I want him to be the same old Karma that I've always known or for him to pretend that nothing ever happened between us.

"I still think about you and the last time I saw you," he says and he's looking at me with such intensity I can feel my face heating up. I laugh nervously to diffuse the tension.

"We fooled around a bit at the end of High School," I say, "it's not exactly 'world's greatest first love'."

"I still have that photo of you, you know," he says and my stomach drops. There are a number of 'that photo's he could have and all of them I would prefer if he deleted.

"Which one?" I ask and thankfully my voice is steady. It could crack and that would be awful and embarrassing.

"The one I took of you after we 'fooled around' against the sports shed," he says and I immediately know the one he's talking about. I close my eyes and I can see it – me red-faced, sweating, naked from the waist down and clinging to the shed as if my life depended on it – as if it were burned into my eyelids.

"I thought I told you to delete that," I say when I open my eyes again to see him smirking at me.

"You did but I decided not to, like the one I have of you dressed as a girl from Junior High," he says.

"You still have that," I groan.

"That I do," he replies.

"You're terrible."

"You wouldn't have me any other way."

"No," I admit, sighing, "you're probably right."

There is a pause and we just look at each other for a moment. I can't bring myself to look away and he seems to be looking at me with an intensity that I haven't seen in a long time. It makes me nervous and eventually I look away.

"Well I think I have everything that I need," Karma says breaking the tension and I relax immediately.

"Okay," I say. He stands and I follow suit. "Thank you for seeing me today."

"It was nice to see you," he says. "I'll be in touch."

"Thank you," I say.

"And not just about the interview," he says. "I don't want it to be another fifteen years before I see you again."

"L... likewise," I say stammering again. I practically dart out of the room but when I'm at the door his voice stops me.

"Hey Nagisa," he says.

"Yeah?"

"You look good."

"You too," I say blushing and dart out of the room before he can say anything else. Oh god, that could have been worse... I'll keep telling myself that and maybe I'll feel better.


	3. The Best Laid Plans

**Quick bit of internet and a quick bit of Itona, enjoy :D**

"I'm home," I call as I push my front door closed behind me.

"Welcome home," Itona says, coming into the hallway as I'm slip my shoes off. "Good day?"

"Strange day," I reply.

"Elaborate."

"Coffee first?" I ask.

"You drive a hard bargain," he says but retreats into the kitchen. I follow as I take off my tie and undo the top button of my shirt.

Itona and I have been living together for three years now We reconnected at a technology fair – he was there because he's as fascinated by it all as ever. I was there on the orders of my principal, looking confused. We had gotten talking and I had mentioned that I was looking for somewhere to live as the lease on my current place was up. He said he was looking for a tenant as he and his girlfriend has just broken up and he couldn't afford the rent by himself so, long story short, I moved in three weeks later.

"So how do you mean strange day?" he asks as he puts the kettle on to boil and turns to face me, leaning against the edge of counter.

"I saw Karma today," I reply.

"Oh yeah, the interview," he says nodding. "How did it go?"

"How did you know I was at an interview?" I ask.

"Karasuma called," he explains.

"Great."

"He said he called to wish you luck for the interview," Itona says. "I asked him what interview as I wasn't aware of your sudden desire for a change of career and he said you were interviewing at Karma's company."

"He actually told you it was Karma's company?" I ask.

"No," he replies, "but I recognised the name."

"Right..."

"So does he want you to kill Karma or someone at his company?" Itona suddenly asks as he casually begins to make the coffee.

"Did he tell you I was on an assignment?" I groan. Because that makes this whole thing so much easier! For fuck's sake Karasuma's always going on about professionalism and shit like that and he just blurts it out to Itona!

"No," Itona says. Oh... "He only ever calls you when it's about an assignment so I figured that was why he was really calling, he just had to make something up because he got me instead of you."

"Oh..."

"So who is it that he wants you to kill this time?" he asks as he hands me a cup of coffee.

"That's the thing," I say after a pause, "it's Karma."

"Wow..." Itona says. "He knows that this is breaking the one and only rule that you have, right?"

"I did tell him that when he asked me but apparently it has to be me because I'm the only one Karma won't suspect," I reply.

"Right..." he says, clearly as sceptical as I am about that. "So do you have a plan for how you're going to go about this?"

"Not a fucking clue."

"Good start."

"I mean it's Karma," I say. "We were so close when we were at school and now apparently I have to kill him."

"Hey I've been meaning to ask you, and it kind of never really seemed like a good time to bring it up, but did you and he ever... you know, get hot and heavy?" he asks.

"Why?" I ask blushing.

"Because it was blatantly obvious that you were both hot for each other, I just wondered if either of you plucked up the courage to actually do anything or if this mission is going to be rife with unresolved sexual tension," he says.

"Was it that obvious that I liked him?" I ask, my face very warm. Oh god did everyone know?

"It couldn't have been more obvious unless you both wore t-shirts that said 'Karma and Nagisa five-ever'," he teases.

"Oh god," I groan, placing a hand over my eyes. This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening!

"So did you?" he asks.

"Did we what?"

"Get it on?"

I open my mouth to answer, not actually knowing how to respond to that, but before I can say anything my phone starts to ring. Saved by the bell!

"I've got to take this," I say pulling my phone out of my pocket.

"Don't think you're getting out of this that easily," he says.

"Sorry can't hear you, answering the phone."

"You're a terrible person," he says.

"I know," I reply and press the answer button. "Hello?"

"Hello is this the right number for Shiota, Nagisa?" a female voice asks.

"Yes that's me," I say.

"Good evening Mr Shiota, my name is Fujioka, Makoto – Mr Akabane's secretary – I was just calling to congratulate you on achieving the position of personal assistant to Mr Akabane," she says.

"Th... thank you," I say. I'm flustered. I did not expect things to happen this quickly. Don't people normally wait ages to hear about these things?

"Out of all the candidates you were the one with the most experience and credentials so Mr Akabane would like to offer you the position if you are still interested," she says. That feels like a lie – I don't have PA experience, in the slightest – but I'm not going to quibble, I guess this has just made my job for Karasuma ten times easier.

"Um... yes, thank you I am," I say.

Itona is looking at me questioningly so I just shrug and continue the conversation with Fujioka. I'll tell him once she's gone.

"Wonderful," she says. "Are you able to come in as early as tomorrow to fill out some paperwork and get trained?"

"Um... sure thing," I reply. My head is spinning, this is all moving way too fast and I can't think straight.

"Wonderful," she says again, "we will see you tomorrow."

"Thank you again," I say hurriedly.

"Thank you Mr Shiota, I will see you tomorrow morning," she says.

"Bye," I say hurriedly as she hangs up. I look up at Itona and I wonder if I look as confused as I feel. "So apparently I start tomorrow."

"Okay," he says. "Clearly these guys don't fuck around."

"Apparently not," I say. "I mean it's not normal for things to move this fast, is it?"

"I don't think so," Itona says. "I mean normally people need to work out a notice period before they can start a new job but I guess that doesn't apply here."

"No Karasuma covered all my classes, effective immediately," I say. "So I guess it's sort of a good thing because this means I can get this over and done with and get back to my day job as fast as possible."

"You sure you're not excited because you get to see Bae again?" Itona asks, smirking.

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer," I say.

"I still haven't dropped the question of needing to know if you guys fucked or not," he says, "and I'm not going to either."

"I'm not telling you!"

"Well that's a yes then," he smirks.

"I hate you."

"Hey maybe that's why you got the job and everything is moving so quickly; because he wants to see his blue-eyed angel again," he says poking me in the ribs.

"I highly doubt it," I say.

"You never know," he shrugs. "You said yourself things don't usually move this fast."

"Yeah but not for that reason?"

"Nagisa, you're a teacher," Itona states matter-of-factly, "you're hardly a qualified PA. There is a reason he gave you the job and I would bet money on the fact that it's more about your ass than your assets."

I open my mouth to protest but my phone vibrates in my hand again. It's a text this time but I'm saved by the proverbial bell again. It's from an unknown number but I have a sneaking suspicion I know who it's from. I open it and, low and behold, I'm right.

'Hey Nagisa, congratulations on getting the job, really looking forward to seeing that cute little face of yours around that office. Don't forget to wear something nice and tight tomorrow. Karma X'

"Actually you may not be that far off the mark," I tell Itona.

"What?" he asks. I show him the text I've just received. A huge grin spreads over his face. "Haha he wants to put his dick in you... again."

"I did not confirm that it happened a first time," I say.

"But you didn't deny it either," he replies.

"Oh shut up," I mutter and turn away blushing.

"He wants you, there is no use denying it," he laughs poking me in the ribs again.

"Whatever."

"And you want him too."

"What?" I ask. "No I don't."

"Nagisa, you can't deny it," he says, "I can tell you do by the look on your face when you talk about him. Are you sure you're going to be alright doing this?"

"I can do it," I tell him.

"Are you sure?"

"I have a job to do," I reply, "I can put whatever personal feeling I may have towards Karma to the back of my mind and get the job done." There is a pregnant pause and I know that he doesn't believe me but he doesn't say anything so I don't either.

"So do you have a plan?" he asks after the silence has stretched on a little too long.

"I think I do."

"Do tell."

"Firstly how willing would you be to help me with this?" I ask. I have an idea, albeit a bad one but I will need him for this.

"Depends what it is," he says, "but more than likely: I don't have a whole lot to do at the moment."

"Okay so just say that you're right and Karma is interested in me as more than just an employee..."

"I am right," he says.

"Regardless," I say, "I can use that to my advantage and try to make him jealous."

"So what would you need me for?" he asks.

Oh god why did I think this is a good idea, this is the worst idea I've ever had. I take a deep breath. There is a good chance that Itona is not going to agree to this and that is my one and only idea out the window.

"Well..." I hedge, "how would you feel about maybe, potentially posing as my probably, sort of boyfriend... thing..."

"Come again?" he asks, blinking at me.

"You wouldn't have to actually do anything," I say hurriedly. "All I would need is a few photos of us looking all couple-y and maybe a lift to work every so often."

Pause.

I wince waiting for the point where he tells me to pack my things and get the fuck out but after a pause that is longer than necessary he shrugs.

"Sure, why not?"

"Really?" I ask, surprised.

"Like I said I'm not exactly doing anything at the moment," he replies.

"Thank you Itona," I say flinging my arms around his neck and hugging him. "You're the best!"

"Aren't I just," he says, "and who knows, it might even be fun. You are going to have to work out how you feel about Karma before you try to kill him though."

"Yeah I know," I say. I know I do but I don't want to think about that right now. Right now I just want to get through tomorrow and see if I can actually put this plan into action. If Karma believes it then that will be something... no idea what I'm going to do from there though...


	4. Question, Question

**Here's a little bit more tongue than is necessary on a Monday haha hope you enjoy :D**

"Will you stop fidgeting?!" Itona snaps as we're sitting at a red light and I fiddle with my hair for the umpteenth time.

"I'm sorry," I yelp. "I'm nervous!"

"I thought you were supposed to be an assassin," he hisses.

"Karma makes me nervous," I say.

"You sound like a school girl."

"I know," I sigh. "I'm usually better than this. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Itona replies, "you're just seeing your ex again."

"He's not really my ex," I say.

"He's close enough for you to be having this kind of reaction."

"I suppose so..." I say.

He is right, in that respect, even though Karma and I were never in a relationship with each other he was still the first person I had sex with and the first person I was ever in love with. Our little, let's call it a dalliance would probably put us in ex territory, especially considering my reaction to it afterwards.

"So you ready for your first day?" Itona asks changing the subject as he pulls into the car park outside Karma's office block.

"You say that like it matters what kind of job I do," I reply.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I'm not really here for the job so it doesn't matter if I'm good at it or not, not really," I say. "And if, at the end of the day, my boss turns out to be a giant douche then I can actually just kill him and that will be my job done."

"This is true."

"Thank you for the lift by the way," I say as Itona parks (albeit badly) just outside the entrance.

"No problem," he says as I get out of the car. "What kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I didn't give my little love-bunny a lift on his first day at a new job?"

"Please don't ever call me that again," I say.

"What about cutie-muffin?" he sniggers.

"No."

"Schnookums?"

"You're an arse," I tell him.

"I'm having too much fun with this," he grins. "How about baby-boo?"

"And on that note, I'm leaving," I say.

"Oh come on I'm just getting started," he laughs. "I've got, like, eight more of these."

"That's not an incentive for me to stay," I chuckle. "Besides Karma's standing by the automatic doors waiting for me." I clocked him a few minutes ago and all he's been doing is watching while the two of us have been talking.

"Is he looking?" Itona asks, suddenly serious. My gaze flickers over to him to see that, yes, he is looking.

"Yeah," I reply.

Itona beckons me over to his side of the car and I go, wondering what the hell he's up to. When I reach him, without a word, he grabs my tie and pulls me down into a kiss. It's not a fake stage kiss either; this is a full on lip lock designed to make Karma jealous. I'm so surprised I gasp and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue passed my open lips to stroke against my own. I recognise Professor Bitch's kissing technique and I'm completely powerless against it as he reaches up to cup the back of my neck, his fingers massaging the hair at the nape and I'm gone. The hits have racked up too high and I let an involuntary moan escape.

He pulls away, still with his hand in my hair and presses another soft kiss to my lips. I'm still too stunned to do anything other than blink at him as he grins up at me.

"Have a good day," he says. The noise that I make in response isn't overly human and he just chuckles. "See you when you get home."

"Bye..." I manage to say but my voice comes out as more breath than word. Itona just laughs and drives away.

I manage to compose myself enough to walk without my legs collapsing. I straighten my tie and flatten my hair. I take a deep breath before making my way over to Karma. The automatic doors slide open and I smile at him. His face is unreadable so I decide that I should be the one to break the ice.

"Morning," I say cheerfully.

"Was that Itona?" he asks. Direct and to the point as ever but I didn't expect anything less from him. I'm still a little fuzzy from that kiss but I'll do the best that I possibly can at making things up on the fly.

"It was yeah," I reply smiling.

Karma turns and begins to lead me up to his office and I wonder, for a moment if I am going to be let off the hook that easily. ...No such luck.

"So when did this become a thing?" he asks.

"Pardon?"

"When did you and Itona reconnect?" he asks.

"A couple of years ago," I say truthfully. "We met at this tech convention and got talking, I moved in with him a little while later because I needed somewhere to live and he had a spare room." So I didn't actually need to lie that much, thank god.

"So you've been together for a while then?" he asks, probably wondering why I didn't mention this when he asked if I was seeing someone (because that was hardly the time or the place to ask that, Karma!)

"Not that long," I reply.

"So you've been living together longer than you've been seeing each other?" he asks.

"What is this, twenty questions?" I don't know why I thought that he would drop the subject after he was so interested in knowing if I was seeing someone but apparently I did.

"I'm just interested," he shrugs, smirking. "I haven't see you for fifteen years; I've got a lot of gaps to fill in."

"Fine," I sigh, rolling my eyes.

"So..."

"So...?"

"When did you get together?"

"Maybe about three months ago," I lie. Now this is going to get complicated.

"And so brazen; kissing in public like that already," he teases. I shake my head. I don't think I am going to have any trouble whatsoever when it comes to wanting to kill this guy if he carries on like this.

"It's nothing serious," I say. "We're just seeing how things go."

"Looked pretty serious from where I was standing," he says. "There was definitely too much tongue in there for a Monday morning."

Okay no more of this. He's totally right on that front but I can already feel my ears heating up. Time for a change of subject me thinks.

"So what about you?" I ask.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you seeing anyone at the moment?" I ask and a grin, that is anything but comforting, splits his face.

"I thought this was hardly the time of the place," he says.

"No the interview was hardly the time or the place," I say. "This is the two of us catching up."

"And why are you so interested in whether I'm seeing someone or not?" he asks.

"I haven't seen you for fifteen years, I've got a lot of gaps to fill in," I say echoing his own words back at him.

"Touché," he chuckles.

"And you just spent the last couple of minutes questioning me about my relationship so it's only fair that I do the same with you," I say.

"Touché again."

"So are you?" I ask after a pause.

"Nah," he replied shaking his head.

"You not married or anything?" I ask and I'm strangely relieved to know that the answer is no. Nobody left behind when I've done my job... totally... that is totally the reason.

"Nope."

"Really?"

"Does that surprise you?" he asks.

"I guess so," I reply. "I guess I just always pictured you settling down, getting married and having a couple of kids."

"That could not be further from the truth," he says. "Perpetual bachelor me."

"Never found the right person?" I ask.

"Oh I found the right person," he says, that cat like grin of his spreading. He stops in front of me and backs me up against the wall before I can do anything about it. I look up at him (he really does tower over me now) and I suppress a shiver. He runs a surprisingly gentle fingertip down my face. "It's just never been the right time."

"Th... that's a shame," I say. "Timing sucks."

"It does," he says. "Or maybe I just need to convince him that it's me he really wants."

He? He! Oh my god he can't actually be talking about me can he? He cups my cheek and runs his thumb over my bottom lip. My knees are weak and my heart his hammering against my chest because this is Karma! I would have given anything for him to do this to me when we were in Junior High and then when we finally had sex I got cold feet because we were drunk. He's leaning closer to me and dear god do I want to just say 'fuck it' and give in.

"Karma..." I say softly, 'kiss me' almost on the tip of my tongue but I just about manage to stop myself. After he's seen me kissing Itona and telling him about our fake relationship it wouldn't do my case any good and wouldn't exactly cast me in a favourable light for being faithful. I want to push him away but I can't seem to get my hands to work. This is so bad! My brain is going fuzzy again and I'm sure that the kiss with Itona hasn't helped matters.

Suddenly, with no word or warning, he pulls away and I'm left against the wall, blushing furiously and trying to catch my breath without panting. He grins at me as if nothing has just happened.

"Shall we get to work then?" he asks.

"Y... yeah," I reply on an out-breath.

"Then let me show you the office," he says and carries on up the stairs as if nothing happened.

I follow on shaking legs, desperately trying to pull myself together. That is most definitely a development and I'll have to text Itona at lunch and let him know. Maybe I won't mention the butterflies still going nuts in my stomach though.


	5. Window Of Opportunity

**Eeesh long day at work! Editing this was fun though, hope you enjoy it :)**

Working with Karma is surprisingly easy. Since that one incident on my first day he hasn't been overly inappropriate (aside from a few comments about how good my ass looks in my work trousers, which I have just laughed off). He's not a bad boss either and it is nice to see him and talk to him again. Also I haven't been feeling as if I'm falling in love with him again (which is also very good). It was touch and go a little at the beginning but that was just from the shock of not seeing him after so long. Now I've gotten used to being around him and I can separate Karma my friend and Karma my target.

Apparently some people think I'm taking too long though.

I'm in the lobby of the office, about to go up to work, when my phone starts ringing. Thinking it must be Itona asking me to buy milk or something on my way home. I pull my phone out of my pocket and answer it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Nagisa," a deep familiar voice says, "it's Agent Karasuma."

Fuck!

I am not prepared for a conversation with him and if I had known it was him I would have let it go to voicemail. As it turns out I'm going to have to answer him... either that or put on a fake English accent and tell him he has the wrong number.

"Hi," I say, opting for the sane option and not faking a bad English accent. I don't want to say his name out loud just in case Karma is nearby; that would open up a whole other minefield of questions I don't want to answer and could blow the whole operation out of the water.

"How are things going?" he asks. Niceties, really? He's going to do this is he, because this is going to be painful if he is.

"Fine," I say, "I just got to work."

"And how is that going?" he asks. Okay he is doing this and it is already starting to become painful.

"It's fine," I reply. Monosyllabic answers are going to be the way I go with this one.

"Everything going smoothly?"

"Yep."

"Good."

"Was there a reason you called?" I ask, fed up with him dancing around what he clearly wants to be asking me here. "Or did you call just to ask me the same rephrased question three times?"

"I just wanted to check in with you because I assumed there was a reason for the hold up in the mission and I just wondered if there was anything you might need help with," he says.

"I've only been doing this a week," I say. Hold up, my arse! What the hell dos he expect me to do? Murder him first day on the job? Because that would be suspicious as hell, especially if I then disappeared off into the ethers afterwards. That would be me prime suspect and probably arrested.

"Normally you're faster on a job than this," he stated.

"Normally I don't know them," I hiss.

What the fuck does he expect from me? This is still me breaking my one cardinal rule of assassination all because 'no one else could possibly do it'.

"I know you have reservations because he's an old friend but don't forget that he is still your target and you have a job to do," Karasuma says and that really has my back up. This is not the cut and dry mission, for me, that he wants it to be.

"As if I could forget," I snap. I probably shouldn't be snapping at him as he is technically my boss in this instant but if feels as if he is expecting too much from me in this instance.

"Nagisa this job has a time limit," he says and it's that patronising Karasuma voice I remember hearing occasionally in Junior High.

"I said I'd get it done so I'll get it done," I snap. "Don't rush me."

"Just make sure that it gets done," he says and hangs up the phone.

"Whatever," I tell the dial tone before I shove my phone back into my pocket. I want to hurl it against the wall but that won't solve anything. I'm fuming and I need to calm down before I go upstairs and see Karma. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down, until the urge to shove my fist into a wall is no longer an issue.

"Trouble in paradise," a teasing voice says in my ear making me jump and cry out. I whip round to see Karma grinning at me. "Morning."

"Karma, what the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that?" I ask as I try to catch my breath.

"You were on the phone and I didn't want to disturb you," he says shrugging.

"How much did you hear?" I ask suddenly worried. I don't think I gave anything away from that conversation... did I?

"I heard you arguing with someone," he replies.

"Oh..." That's fine, that could have been worse.

"So is there trouble in paradise?" he asks again after a pause.

"Pardon?"

"You and Itona," he clarifies. "Was that him you were arguing with?"

Well that gives me an idea...

"Oh it was nothing," I say, shaking my head.

"It didn't sound like nothing to me," he says.

"It's fine, it's nothing out of the ordinary."

"You guys been fighting a lot?"

"We have recently I guess," I lie.

"How come? ...If you don't mind me asking. You looked so into each other when I saw you together last week."

"I don't know," I say shrugging. "Maybe I've been working too much or something, but he won't tell me what it actually is that's bothering him so I can do something."

"I can give you some time off if you need it," he says.

"Don't be silly," I say. "This is my job. If me working too much or whatever is the problem he needs to understand that this is what I do now."

"Things are alright though?" Karma asks suddenly looking very concerned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it is just arguing, he doesn't hit you or anything?" he asks.

"Oh god, no!" I cry hurriedly. "We have literally just been arguing, nothing else." I really don't want to paint Itona as the bad guy in all of this. Aside from the fact that he's just been doing me a favour with this, he is still my friend and I'm still going to be living with him.

"Well if you're sure you're okay..." he says looking at me uncertainly, almost as if he thinks Itona is smacking me around. I don't think he'll believe me if I say I am but that is my story and I will stick to it.

"I'll be fine," I say smiling at him. "I just want to get on and forget about it. You know what I mean?"

"Okay," he says and gives my shoulder a squeeze. "If you do need that time off just let me know."

"Thank you."

"So shall we go upstairs?" he asks.

"Yes," I reply.

"Okay then let's go," he says and heads up the stairs to his office.

I lag behind slightly so that if he looks round and sees me pull my phone out of my pocket he can't see what's on the screen. I discretely tap out a text to Itona, a plan suddenly forming in my mind.

' _How do you feel about ending our fake relationship when I finish work this evening?_ ' I ask him.

' _Baby don't you fake love me no more?_ ' comes the reply a few seconds later and I have to stifle my laughter so Karma doesn't wonder what the hell is wrong with me and start asking questions.

' _I'm sorry it's just not fake working anymore_ ' I say, playing along.

The next message Itona sends is a number of crying emojis and broken hearts accompaning with the words 'hello darkness my old friend' and I'm really struggling not to laugh. Luckily he sends another text, this one actually on the point.

' _So what happened?_ ' he asks.

' _Karma heard me arguing with Karasuma, thought it was you and drew his own conclusions so this might move things along on that front. Will fill you in properly when I get home tonight if that's okay_ '

' _I knew it was something to do with that hot-rod boss of yours! Lol_ ' he says and I can imagine him being overly dramatic and pretending to be incredibly offended.

' _What can I say, he's just too hot? Lol_ ' I joke and immediately regret it as I know how Itona will take that one.

' _Ha! Knew you still fancied him! Remember you can get under him on the pretence of getting over me_ '

' _I'm going to work now..._ '

' _You know that's what's going to happen, don't avoid the question_ ' he says.

' _I do actually need to go to work_ ' I tell him.

' _Fine, ruin my fun lol what time do you finish?_ '

' _6pm_ ' I reply.

' _Cool meet you out front, bring Karma_ '

' _Will do_ '

I slip my phone back into my pocket, hoping that this works.

"So do you have any plans for the evening?" Karma asks as we leave the office at the end of the day.

"Nothing much," I reply, "just dinner, might watch a film too. You?"

"Probably going to do some reading," Karma shrugs.

"When you say it like that you make it sound like you're fifty," I tease.

"Hey I'm only a few months older than you," he replies ruffling my hair as we walk out into the car park.

"Well isn't this a picture," Itona's voice says angrily, cutting through the evening. Both Karma and I turn to stare at him and he even looks quite angry.

"Itona!" I say sounding surprised for Karma's benefit. "What are you doing here?"

"I had come to pick my boyfriend from work," he says as he pushes himself off his car and begins to walk towards us. He stops a few feet in front of us and looks between Karma and I and shakes his head. "Why am I not surprised to find you with him?"

"He's my boss!" I say. I quickly turn to Karma. "I'm so sorry about this."

"What are you apologising to him for?" Itona asks.

"Because this is crazy," I say as I go over to meet him. "He's my boss, of course I'm going to be around him a lot, you knew this when I took the job."

"Which you never even told me about until after you had interviewed for it," he says.

"Because I wasn't sure how you would react," I mumble but it's still loud enough for Karma (and the other people who have stopped to watch) to hear.

"Is this enough of a reaction for you?" he asks. "Seriously Nagisa there was a reason you kept this from me."

"Look I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I say and begin to slowly run my hands up his chest to rest around his neck, tangling my fingers in the hair at the nape to make it look really convincing. "How about I make it up to you when we get home and we'll forget all about this?"

"I'm sorry Nagisa," he says taking hold of my wrists and removing my arms from around his neck. "I can't do it. I thought, when you said that you would be working with him all the time, that I would be okay with it. I mean you guys were just friends, right?"

"We were," I say. "We are."

"And that's why I can't do it," he says.

"Itona..." I say softly and really lament the fact that I've never mastered the art of being able to well up on cue. That would be so useful right about now...

"I love you Nagisa, I really do," he says, "but I just can't do this."

"Itona please..." I begin and clutch the front of his shirt. "Please don't do this; we can work it out."

"I'm sorry, I just can't," he says, "I can't take thinking about you with him all the time."

"But..."

"One more moment of weakness though," he says softly. He places both hands on either side of my face and presses a soft kiss to my lips. It's not as surprising or as filled with tongue as the last one but it still hits me square in the gut and knocks me for a loop for a second. He pulls away, pressing his forehead to mine as I catch my breath, and whispers so that only I can hear him. "Buy milk, we're out."

"Okay," I whisper back, just about managing not to laugh. He leans forward and kisses me again. I'm a little more prepared for it this time but it still takes me a little by surprise.

He lets go of me and goes back to his car, his shoulder slumped. He gets in and takes one last look at me still standing there staring after him before he sighs to himself and shakes his head and drives off. I stand there, as if unable to move, until I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder and I turn to see Karma.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"I... I don't know," I say softly, as if I'm still processing what has just happened.

"I'm sorry if all of that was my fault," Karma says after a pause. "I didn't realise Itona was the easily jealous type."

"Neither did I," I say.

"If there is anything I can do..."

"No, no, it's fine," I say and make an effort to smile (or make it look like I'm making an effort.) "I'll be alright, I'm just a bit..."

"In shock?" he offers.

"I think so," I reply.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

"Thank you but no," I say. "I kind of just want to be alone right now and I still technically live with him; if I show up with you in tow that will just make things ten times worse."

"Good point," he says. "If there is anything you need though, no matter what it is, let me know and I'll do what I can to help."

"Thanks Karma," I say.

"Hey whatever you need, I'm here for you," he says and smiles at me. I feel a little guilty for lying to him but I have to keep telling myself that this is all part of the job and, ultimately, it won't matter in the end if all goes to plan.


	6. Heavy Rain And Scandalous Behaviour

**Here's a little bit of a smutty hint to start your weekend, enjoy guys :D**

"Is that Karma again," Itona asks as my phone vibrates on the coffee table for the fifth or sixth this morning.

"Probably," I say as I finish doing my tie in the mirror in the hallway.

"He's been texting you all weekend," Itona teases, "clearly I had a right to be jealous."

"He's just concerned about me," I chuckle. "As far as he knows you and I have split up and I am now homeless."

"What did you tell him?"

"That I'd gone to stay with my parents over the weekend," I reply.

"That makes sense," he says. "They're out of town enough for him to not try to find out where you're staying."

"And gave me a good excuse to lie on the sofa in my pants all weekend."

"I still maintain you don't need an excuse for that but okay," Itona laughs as I go over to the coffee table, pick up my phone and read the text. "What's he said?" he asks after a pause.

"Just asked if I wanted a lift to work," I say.

I quickly type out my answer ('don't worry, it's miles out of your way, I'll be fine') and pocket my phone. I stare off into space and there must be something in my face because Itona gets up off the sofa and comes to flick me in the forehead.

"Hey," I protest, rubbing the spot. "What was that for?"

"What's going on with you?" he asks, not bothering to answer my question.

"Nothing!"

"Nagisa, you are a fantastic assassin but you are a terrible liar," he says. "I'm assuming Karma only believed our performance because of my superior acting skills. What is going on with you?"

"I told you; nothing," I say. He fixes me with an incredulous look and I know I'm going to have to come clean or be hounded until I leave for work (only to get hounded again once I come home). "Okay fine!" I huff. "I feel guilty."

"What about?"

"I don't know," I shrug, "lying to Karma."

"Because..."

"Because he's my friend," I reply. "It just feels wrong lying to him like this, especially when he's so concerned about my well being."

"I'm sorry," Itona says. "I know it's difficult."

"It's okay," I say, sighing. "I always knew it was going to be, this is just proving harder than I originally thought it would be which is why I didn't want to do it in the first place."

"Do you want me to give you a lift to work today?" he asks. "I can try and take your mind off it for a little while longer."

"No it's okay," I reply. "It would look weird after our super public breakup on Friday."

"You could just tell them we got back together and spent the weekend having crazy hot make up sex," he suggests.

"You wish," I laugh. "No it's fine, I honestly don't mind walking and the weather is nice; it will give me a chance to think about things." I grab my bag and make my way over to the door, Itona still eyeing my sceptically. He's probably worried about me too in all of this but for different reasons (he knows what's really going on for a start).

"If you're sure," he says.

"I'm sure," I say smiling.

"Okay..."

"I'll see you later," I say and open the door.

"It'll be alright in the end Nagisa," he says as I step outside. "You'll find a way to make it work."

"Thanks Itona," I say smiling at him. "Besides who could be sad on such a beautiful day?"

As it turns out the 'beautiful day' only lasts until I'm far enough away from home that turning back for an umbrella would be pointless and it starts to piss it down with rain. By the time I get to work I'm soaked through to the skin and shivering.

"What the hell happened to you?" Karma asks when he sees me.

"I decided to walk today," I say through chattering teeth.

"Why?"

"It wasn't raining when I left the house," I snap.

"If you say so," he chuckles. "You can't stay like this all day you'll catch your death."

"I don't have any other clothes," I say which should be obvious as I literally only have the clothes I stand in.

"Don't worry," he says. "I'm sure I can find something for you for today at least."

Karma takes me up to the office, routes around in one of the cupboards before he pulls out a small pile of clothes. I thank him and go to get changed in the nearest toilet although as soon as I see what he's given me I'm less thankful.

"I can't wear this," I say sticking my head out of the door to see him smirking at me.

"Why not?" he asks feigning innocence.

"You know damn well why not," I snap.

"It's either that or spend the day in wet clothes," he says, his smirk widening by the second. ...Bastard!

I open my mouth to tell him that I'd take my chances with the wet clothes but I've already taken my shirt off and I don't fancy the prospect of putting it back on.

"Fine," I huff, "but you'd better lock the office door once we're inside. I don't want anyone else seeing me like this, it's embarrassing enough with you seeing me like this."

"Oh don't worry," Karma says, "this is something for my eyes only. I don't want anyone else seeing this beautiful sight."

The possessive lilt in his voice makes my heart flutter a little and I don't argue anymore. I slink back into the toilet and finish peeling off the rest of my wet clothes. Even my boxers are soaked so I take those off too, I'll just spend the rest of the day commando, what's the worst that could happen? Once I'm out of my wet clothes I reluctantly put on what Karma gave me.

A few minutes later I open the door of the toilet and step out so that he can see me. He's given me one of the tiniest skirts known to man (I had to tuck myself into the waistband to stop my cock being on display for the world to see) and a blouse so tight and so sheer you can see my nipples through it along with knee high socks, which I know he's always had a bit of a thing for. I'm scarlet from embarrassment and I take back everything I said about being guilty for lying to him. I don't feel guilty; this man is the devil incarnate and I'm, somehow, unlucky enough to be his new plaything. I mean where does he expect me to hide a gun in this? ...Oh yeah, he's not expecting me to be trying to hide a gun

"Looking good Nagisa," he teases. "I'm getting Junior High flashbacks; you still suit women's clothes just as much as men's."

"Karma..."

"Give us your wet clothes and I'll go get them dried for you," he says and I hand him the bundle I have been holding.

"Th... thank you," I mumble looking at the floor. I can't quite bring myself to look up at him because I know what I'll see and it's not going to be a comforting face.

"I won't be more than a few minutes so why don't you go through to the office and bend over my desk for me like a good girl," he says.

"What?!" I squeak and I'm loathed to sound so unmanly when I also look so much like a girl (if I had my old Junior High hair I'd look even more like a girl).

"I'm kidding," Karma sniggers before leaning close to my ear and running a finger down my cheek, "or am I?" His breath against my ear sends a shiver down my spine and his words start a fire in the pit of my stomach. This is not good. This is nearly as bad as me nearly letting him kiss me on my first day.

"Karma..."

"Relax," he chuckles as he pulls away, that infuriating smirk still on his face, "I am just messing with you. I'm just here to help."

"How is this supposed to be helping?"

"It's helping me," he replies with a shrug.

"You're such a pervert," I say before I can stop myself. Probably not the best thing to call you boss.

"You say that like it's news," he chuckles.

"You're terrible."

"I know," he says. "I'll see you up there, I'll just go put these on to dry."

"Okay," I say and dart over to his office, practically slamming the door behind me.

This is so embarrassing and I want the ground to just open up and swallow me whole. I try to forget about my attire and just get on with starting my work but as I hear the door open and close and practically feel Karma's eyes burning into my back it is really fucking difficult.

"I thought you were going to bend over the desk for me," he says and I don't have to look at him to know that he's pouting.

"And I thought you said you were only kidding," I reply, still not turning to look at him. There's no reply for a second and a part of me wonders what he's doing (mostly if he's taking another photo of me for his apparently growing collection) but then I feel the heat of his body right behind me. I stiffen as one of his hands grabs my hip while the other gently takes hold of my chin and turns my head so that I'm sort of looking up at him.

"I've got the best view in the house today," he practically purrs, "I'm not going to waste a second of it."

"I believe this is called sexual harassment," I say weakly. I can feel myself getting hard and I'm glad that I had the sense to sandwich my cock between my clothes and my stomach otherwise there would be no hiding it and that would be too embarrassing for words. Karma's hand moves from my chin to gently stroking up the inside of my thigh and I sink my teeth into my bottom lip to stop myself from moaning. The last thing I want to do right now is let him know that I'm apparently enjoying this.

"Then I'll let you get on with your work," he says and immediately his hands are gone. I don't know whether to scream in frustration or sigh with relief so I let out a shaky exhale and straighten up.

"Thanks," I say though it's more breath than word. I don't look round at him, because I know he'll be looking smug, and try to get on with my work.

It's not easy.

For the rest of the day Karma suddenly starts teasing me when I'm least expecting it. It's just little things like running a fingertip over the back of my neck, which he knows makes me weak, when he's behind me or a resounding slap to my backside whenever I forget what I'm wearing and bend down to pick up anything. I suppose (if my ultimate goal in all of this wasn't his murder) that I could report him for sexual harassment but the fact that I've been hard for most of the day – and I think he knows too – wouldn't exactly help my case despite all this evidence.

He suddenly decides to take his teasing up a notch when I feel something gently vibrating against my upper thigh and I let out an involuntary gasp. I hear him laugh softly behind me. Fuck! He heard.

"Problem Nagisa?" he asks.

"N... no," I stammer desperately trying not to let him see just how much I'm being affected by this.

"You know," he says calmly as he slowly begins to move the vibrator higher, "I was just thinking about that night after we graduated from High School."

"Oh yeah?"

Is he going to do what I think he's going to do; try to make me cum by teasing me with a vibrator while whispering filthy things in my ear? It's getting harder to seem unaffected, my traitorous body wants him and I'm sure he knows too.

"I have very vivid memories of that night," he says.

"Really? I barely remember anything, I was so drunk," I lie hurriedly in an attempt to distract him.

No dice.

"I remember how you clung to the side of the sports shed for dear life as I fucked you," he says, "just begging me for more."

"Karma please," I begin, my voice shaking, "I'm trying to work."

"It's a shame we were just kids and had nothing better than spit as lubricant," he muses as if I hadn't spoken. "It would have been so much better to see you drenched in lube and twitching, just begging for my cock."

Oh god!

I can't do this! I can't pretend I'm not affected by this anymore. I need him to either stop or do more and it would probably be best for my sanity if he stopped but I can't quite get my voice to work to ask him to.

"Karma..." It comes out more of a breathy moan to continue than a plea to stop and I know I'm totally fucked as the vibrator reaches higher and just brushes passed my balls.

"If I got to have my way with you now it would be so much better," he says and suddenly the vibrator is gone. I feel his body heat against my back, there's something hard pressing against the base of my spine and my face could melt ice it's so hot. "I'd tie you up and gag you, if you're up for that. I wouldn't blindfold you though; I want to see those beautiful eyes of your welling up as I push you closer and closer to the edge only to stop at the last second."

"Karma!" That's definitely a moan as one of his hands reaches up to tease one of my nipples through my shirt. He nips my neck softly and I let out another soft moan.

"Nagisa..." he groans, his other hand gripping my hip as he presses his cock harder into my back.

Suddenly he spins me round, pushing me against the edge of the desk. I look up at the hunger and desire in his eyes and I feel my knees go weak. He reaches up and I barely even flinch as he runs his thumb over my bottom lip before he leans down and kisses me. It's soft at first but becomes more feverish as he nips my bottom lip and I gasp, allowing him to slip his tongue into my mouth. As his tongue strokes and massages mine I realise that this isn't Professor Bitch's technique, this is pure Karma and I am totally powerless against it.

Without thinking I reach up and clutch the front of his shirt, pulling him closer as he wraps am arm around my waist pressing me right up against his body. My head is spinning and I can barely think as he pulls back and presses a soft kiss to my lips again. He presses his forehead against mine and I'm panting, gasping for breath as I look up into his eyes and I realise that I want him. I want to give in and I want him to pound me into this desk with no thought or consequence for the aftermath.

But I can't.

Despite how he has been making me act, how I'm totally off my usual assassination game, and despite the feelings he's been stirring within me he is still my target and I will eventually have to kill him. I push him away.

"I... I'm sorry," I say hurriedly. "Where are my clothes?"

"By the door," he says softly, confused. Without another word I push past him and am about to run for the door when he grabs my wrist. "Nagisa wait."

"I'm sorry," I say and pull my wrist out of his lax grip and dart for the door, grabbing my clothes as I leave. I dart to the toilet and lock myself in, trying to calm my breathing and my rapidly beating heart. I'm going to get dressed and then I'm going home, it's only half an hour until I leave anyway so it's not like it matters.

...I am so fucked!


	7. Reactions

**Karma and Nagisa finally admitting their feelings for each other :3 hope you enjoy it**

So apparently I'm really good at this running away and hiding when my feelings get too real and I freak out. I just can't believe Karma kissed me though! I can't believe my reaction to it and I can't believe the fact that he made it quite clear that he wants to sleep with me again. If I'm really honest with myself I want it too, I want him too. Even after nearly twenty years, my crush on Karma hasn't gone away but developed into something else entirely.

I know I should go to work but after yesterday I don't know if I can face him again. I mean that kiss just floored me and I want more but that is such a stupid and dangerous idea. Why would I put myself through that? He is still my target and at some point I am going to have to get over all of this nonsense and kill him.

I wrap myself tighter around the cushion I'm holding and bury my face into it. I can't remember the last time I moved but I feel like I'll break if I move now.

"Are you still moping," Itona asks as he comes downstairs and into the living room where I am curled up on the sofa.

"I'm not moping!" I say although my voice is muffled slightly by the cushion.

"You're in your pyjamas and you're curled up on the sofa hugging a cushion: you're moping," Itona states. "Have you spoken to him at all since yesterday?"

Naturally I told Itona about what happened (leaving out the part where I was in women's clothing) as, when he got home from work, he was very confused at finding me already home, haphazardly dressed and with my face buried into the cushion I was still hugging with steam practically coming out of my ears.

"No..." I mumble sitting up and hugging the cushion tighter. In truth I wasn't sure if I _could_ talk to him as I didn't know which answer would make me happier.

Itona comes round the sofa and kneels in front of me. I stare at him for a second before he raises his hand and flicks me, hard, in the forehead. I let out a high pitched squeak of indigence and pain and rub my sore forehead.

"Then stop being such a little bitch and talk to him already," he says and gives my hair a ruffle as he gets to his feet. "Honestly no one would guess that you were gearing yourself up to kill him."

I groan and bury my face into the cushion again, which just makes Itona laugh. What on earth am I doing?

* * *

On Itona's instruction (and forcing) I get myself off the sofa and ready for work. He even drops me off a few streets away so that I don't have to walk and spend too much time in my own head (and so that I don't run away). By the time I'm finally standing in front of the door to Karma's office I'm all but ready to run away again.

No!

Got to do this the right way and just talk to him.

I push the door open and he's sitting behind his desk looking through paperwork, looking as calm and collected as ever. He looks up when he hears me close the door and smiles at me.

"Morning," he says and he sounds genuinely happy to see me, as if he thought that I would have run off again after yesterday (I did try so he's not wrong but that's not the point.)

I can feel myself trembling, my mouth is dry and my face is red. I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I take a deep breath, Itona's words from this morning ringing out in my head – 'stop being such a little bitch and talk to him already' – and I try again.

"Iwannatalkaboutyesterday!" I blurt out, my words tripping over each other in a garbled mess.

"Pardon?" he asks, blinking at me in confusion. I take another deep breath and try again.

"I want to talk about yesterday," I say.

"Okay," he says still looking at me calmly, "what about yesterday?"

"I think you know," I say.

"Yeah but I want to hear you say it," he says.

"Okay," I say. I should have expected that. "Why did you give me those clothes to put on yesterday?"

"Those were literally the only clothes I had here that would fit you," he says. "You would have caught your death if you sat in wet clothes for the whole day and I only had those because the last girl left them here."

"Okay," I say. I don't want to ask why a girl left her clothes here, I don't think my heart could take it right now. "Next question; why did you kiss me?"

"Because I wanted to," he replies.

"But why though?" I ask.

"Because I'm in love with you," he says.

I blink at him. He said it so calmly it almost didn't sound like a confession but it is and all I can do is stare at him blankly as I try to process it.

"W... what?"

"I said I'm in love with you," he says again. He gets up and slowly comes over to my side of the desk, as if he's approaching a baby deer. "I've been in love with you since we were in Junior High"

"Why didn't you say anything?" I ask. I'm backed right up against the door with nowhere to run and he's still coming towards me.

"Why didn't you?"

"Pardon."

"Unless I read things incredibly wrong, you were into me too," he says. He stops in front of me, close enough to reach out and touch but far enough away that I don't feel claustrophobic. I don't know if he expects me to confirm this or not but there really is no point in denying it now. It won't get me anywhere.

"No I was," I mumble. I stop myself from telling him that I still am for the moment, I can already feel the flush in my cheeks and I really don't want to make it even worse.

"I don't know about you but, for me, it hasn't stopped," he says. He takes a step closer, reaches over and brushes my fringe away from my eyes. I hold my breath until he takes his hand away, not sure if I want him to keep touching me or not.

"Karma..."

"I'm still in love with you Nagisa," he says. "I don't care if you don't say it back, I just needed to tell you. I haven't found anyone like you or anyone that can take my mind off you for more than a second and, believe me, I've looked."

"You have?" I ask. That hurt a lot more than it should have done. Of course Karma will have been with other people – it's been fifteen years! I'm just having trouble with the fact that the Karma standing in front of me confessing his love for me is the same Karma who decked me up in women's clothes and teased me with a vibrator but I know it is. Karma has always had this wonderful ability to completely surprise me when I think he's going to react a certain way.

"Nobody compared," he says. "I even found a couple of people who looked like you and, believe me, that's not easy." He reaches over and gives a lock of my hair a gentle tug. "Unconsciously I think I kept trying to make them like you but it never worked because they weren't you."

"Oh..."

"I'm crazy about you Nagisa," he says and I note how he's staying away from the 'L' word so as not to freak me out but it's a bit late for that. I'm already freaking out and I don't think I can keep my cool for much longer.

He takes another step closer so that we're nose to nose now and I can feel my heart pounding in my ears. I look up and I've finally found a use for being so short as I really like the fact I have to stand on my tiptoes to be level with his face. It makes my heart flutter like a distressed butterfly, but in a good way.

"I... I..." I try to say it back but my voice is sticking in my throat. You never would have guessed that I'm a professional assassin in my early thirties with the way Karma has been making me behave recently.

"You don't have to say anything," he says.

"But..."

"How about I take you out to dinner tomorrow night after work and we can talk about this some more? That will give you a bit of time to think."

"That sounds nice," I say in a small voice.

"Good," he says. "Take the day off tomorrow, I can manage one day on my own, then I'll come and pick you up at around half past seven, if that's okay with you?"

"You don't have to give me the day off," I say.

"But I want to," he says. "This is me taking you out on a date so I want you to be totally sure that this is what you want."

"Okay," I say and I'm a little overwhelmed at how much he wants me to be completely fine with this, I guess he doesn't want me running away suddenly again, "half seven it is."

"Good," he says smiling. There is a short pause before he opens his mouth again. "Can I kiss you?"

"Pardon?"

"Can I kiss you?" he asks again. I stare at him. I would have thought, after yesterday, he would have just gone for it but apparently not.

"O... okay," I say and it comes out as more of a breathy whisper than actual words. His eyes are zeroed in on my lips as he places his hand on my cheek. I tease my bottom lip between my teeth and I hear his breath hitch. I'm so tense I wish he would just do something but I can barely move to take matters into my own hands.

He leans down and barely brushes his lips against mine. I'm wound so tightly that I practically melt into him, desperate for more. He kisses me again, with a little more pressure and I can't stop the soft moan that sounds in the back of my throat. He wraps his other arm around my waist to pull me close as the hand on my cheek moves to tangle in my hair. I finally manage to prise my hands off the door to clutch the front of his shirt and kiss him back, standing up on my tiptoes for a better angle. I can't help myself, I want more.

The sudden shrill ringing of the phone on his desk make us pull apart. I'm panting, trying to regain my composure, that kiss was much more innocent than the one we shared yesterday but it's left me just as breathless.

"We should probably get to work," Karma chuckles and pulls away.

"Yeah," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. My heart aches as he pulls away from me and goes back to his desk. While his back is turned I reach up and gently touch my lips, they feel like they're still tingling and I realise that I am in even more trouble than I thought I was going to be.


	8. Hello Shooting Star Again

**I've been listening to love songs while editing this, that chapter you've all been waiting for - smuts ahoy! Enjoy :D**

As instructed I have the following day off. I spend all of it thinking about Karma, what he means to me and what I want. It's difficult because I still have to think of him as a target so I can't think too much about us maybe having a future together. I also spend a larger chunk of the day obsessing over this date. What am I going to wear? How am I supposed to act when the guy sitting opposite me will not only be someone I'm supposed to eventually kill but also pretty much the love of my god-damn life?

Seriously how do you deal with that?

After obsessing for way longer than was humanly necessary I finally settle on wearing a shirt, waistcoat and tie and I'm fixing the tie in the mirror when Itona appears behind me. I had told him all about Karma giving me the day off so I could think about things and he hasn't really passed comment on it but I know he's worried about me.

"Looking good," he says. "Karma's not going to be able to keep his hands off you... not that he can anyway by the sounds of it." He gives me backside a playful slap and I let out an indignant squeak.

"Hey!" I protest as he laughs.

"I'm just messing with you," he says, "but you do look good though."

"Thanks," I say blushing and turning back to the mirror to start fiddling with my hair. Am I always this nervous before dates? I have no idea as I haven't been on one in about three years but the fact that this is Karma I'm going out with certainly isn't helping.

"So one question," Itona begins after a pause.

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" I ask after I let the silence stretch on for a little too long.

"I mean Karma is still your target, that hasn't changed."

"No," I say, "it hasn't."

"So are you sure you can separate dating him and killing him?" he asks.

"It's one dinner," I reply. "It's hardly the romance of the century."

"That's not the point," Itona says. "I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't date him or anything if you want to – you're a grown up, you can do what you want – but as soon as you get feelings involved you kind of become a bit of a wreak, the last few days has proved that."

"Itona I'll be fine," I lie smiling at him.

"Will you though?" he asks. "I'm just worried because you're my friend. I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life or anything, I just don't want Karma to become another Korosensei."

"I know," I sigh, finally giving up with my hair. "I've been thinking about that and I always knew that this was going to be difficult as soon as I took the job but I am prepared, I'll be fine."

"If you're sure," he says and I know he's not totally convinced but by this point, I don't think there is anything I can do to convince him that I've got this (partially because I'm not totally convinced I have got this but there you go).

The doorbell rings and I suddenly freeze. Fuck! I'd forgotten that Karma was supposed to be picking me up.

"Oh god, that's him," I hiss.

"I'm gone," Itona says and begins to make his way upstairs. "Have fun tonight, don't do anything I wouldn't do and if you go back to his make sure you use protection."

"Itona," I hiss and he just laughs as he disappears upstairs.

Once he's out of sight I go over to the front door and open it. Karma is standing there smiling at me and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. He looks so good! He's wearing a shirt with no tie and one too many buttons undone and an open suit jacket (kind of like how he used to wear his uniform in Junior High). Oh god, I'm not sure if I can do this...

"Hey you," he says as he looks me up and down and smiles.

"Hey," I say, a little breathlessly. I did not expect him to look quite as good as he does (I don't know why, he always does look good, regardless).

"You ready to go?" he asks.

"Yeah," I reply hoping that I'm not staring too openly at the expanse of neck leading down to his chest. I swallow thickly.

He takes my hand and presses a soft kiss to the back of it. My skin feels like it's on fire and I tease my bottom lip between my teeth. He looks up at me, his lips still a hair's breadth away from my skin. I swallow again, trying to keep my composure. He laces his fingers with mine and gives my hand a squeeze.

"Then let's go."

* * *

The restaurant he takes me too is a quaint little out of the way place with low lighting and soft music. A couple of the other customers do look round when they see two men walk in together but the waiting staff seem nonplussed and Karma certainly doesn't pay them any mind so I don't either. The food is good and the place feel very romantic – it's a little embarrassing but I don't let it get to me too much. Clearly when Karma said he wanted to take me out he really went the whole nine yards to make this feel like an actual date.

He's actually behaving himself as well. There have been a few suggestive comments and occasionally our hands have brushed (every time they do I feel myself blushing and wanting to touch him more). I'm still struggling with this dilemma of wanting more from this evening and actually beginning to wonder if I do want to rekindle our short lived romance but at the same time knowing I should be getting on with the assignment Karasuma gave me. This is starting to become a bit of a bind.

"Hey," he says breaking me out of my train of thought, "you looked really serious for a second there, what's on your mind?"

I blink and look up at him. Had I been? I guess I was sort of giving my empty plate the stink eye there. I shake my head and smile at him.

"Oh it's nothing," I say.

"You thinking about where we go from here?" he asks.

"Kind of," I reply knowing that what he means and what I was thinking are two very different things.

"Well," Karma says as he hails over a waitress for the bill, "I can take you home as soon as we're done here."

"There sounds like there should be an 'or' on the end there," I say.

"Or you can come back to mine for a bit and we can have coffee."

Does he mean coffee or 'coffee'? When he says about going to his does that mean he wants to have sex? I'm so bad at this dating thing I never have any idea what statements like that really mean. At least with Karma I can sort of guess by dint of having known him so long.

"Coffee would be nice," I say eventually. Whether he means just coffee or anything else I'm not totally sure but I think I'll take my chance and say yes because I don't want the evening to end just yet.

* * *

Karma pays the bill and we leave the restaurant together. The drive back to his is short and I'm a lot more nervous than I perhaps aught to be. There is a chance we're going back to his for something more than just coffee but I probably shouldn't sleep with him, that would just make everything so much more complicated.

Karma lives in a one bedroom flat that is quite small but very clean. I'm a little surprised when I see it. I had pictured something more grand, knowing how well off he is, but I suppose it is just him and it would be pointless to have all that extra space he wouldn't be using.

I'm looking at the living room (a small, cosy space with a sofa and a rather large TV – probably the most extravagant thing I have seen in the house) when I suddenly feel him behind me. He rests a gentle hand on my hip and I feel my nerve endings prickle at his touch.

"So how about that coffee?" he asks softly whispering in my ear.

"Okay," I reply. I still have no idea if he means actual coffee or euphemism coffee but if I say yes I'll find out.

"How do you take it?" he asks.

Okay that could either be incredibly suggestive and inappropriate or he could actually just be talking about coffee and I have a filthy mind.

"White with two sugars," I say. I'll find out now I guess.

"Okay, I'll put the kettle on," he says.

Apparently I just have a filthy mind...

I turn to watch him as he makes up two cups and waits for the kettle to boil. My eyes zero in on his backside for a second and I have to admit that it does look really good, hugged by his slightly too tight trousers. Once the kettle has boiled he turns to face me. I blush and look away and he chuckles.

"What are you thinking?" he asks, advancing on me.

"N... nothing," I reply. I steal a glance at him and I wish I hadn't. He's smirking at me and it makes my stomach feel as if someone's dropped a dozen snakes into it.

"Liar," he says, his voice low and sultry, as he places his finger under my chin and tilts my head up so that I'm forced to look at him.

"Karma what are you..."

"Listen I know you don't believe me when I say this and you think I'm just messing around with you, and maybe this isn't the best time for me to say this but I need to say it soon or I never will, but I'm in love with you Nagisa and I have been for a long time," he says. "I don't care if you don't say it back or if you don't return my feelings but I love you."

"Karma..." I can't connect my brain and my mouth. I don't know what I want to say back but I want to say something.

"All I'm asking is just tell me if I have even the tiniest chance," he says. "It doesn't matter if it's now or in a few weeks but I just need to know."

My head is spinning. I'm totally blown away by Karma's confession, I've waited so long to hear him say that! He loves me! Actually loves me and maybe this will all go down in flames but, god, I never thought I would hear him say 'I love you' to me so this is a chance I just have to take. In that moment he's no longer the man I'm supposed to kill, he's just Karma; the man I've been in love with since I was about fifteen and have never really stopped loving.

"I love you too," I say softly. I can barely speak louder than a whisper otherwise my voice might just break.

"What?"he asks, a grin spreading over his face.

"I love you too," I say, a little louder. "I'm sorry I ran off after that night, I just thought that because we had been drunk you'd say that it was all a mistake and that you regretted it and I couldn't face that so I just ran and if I hadn't then things could have been so different."

What am I doing? This is going to make things so much more complicated but I can't stop. I've been keeping these feelings to myself for too long now and I can't seem to stop them from spilling out now I've started.

Karma smiles at me, and it's not a smirk or his usual predatory grin it's just a smile, and he brushes my fringe out of my eyes. He leans down so he's mere centimetres away from my lips and I want to reach up and just kiss him, knowing exactly where the night will go from there if I do.

"Well why don't you make it up to me and we'll pick up where we left off all those years ago?" he asks

"Okay," I reply, my nerves coming through in my voice. The prospect of sleeping with him again is still a little daunting (especially what he said the other day about the tying up and gagging) but I want it, I want him.

"Relax," he chuckles softly, "this is me remember. I'm not going to make you do anything your uncomfortable with."

"What about the girls clothes?" I ask as I was very uncomfortable with that but I still had to wear them for an entire day.

"That was just a bit of fun," he says, winking. "Seriously though you set the pace, I've waited too long for you to finally be here, I'm not going to throw it all away by going to fast or pushing you into anything."

"Okay," I say nodding.

What do I want to do?

I want to sleep with him. This is such a terrible idea but I can't stop myself as I reach up ever so slightly and close the tiny gap between our lips.

It's a short, sweet kiss but it say everything that I can't put into words. I've waited so long for this – for him – that I'm not going to turn him down now.

A smile spreads over his face and he slips the hand that was tilting my head up round the back of my neck and tangles his fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck and pulls me up in for another kiss, this one not quite so innocent. This time when he kisses me he takes my bottom lip into his mouth and lightly sucks on it before gently running his teeth over it, making me moan softly.

"You have no idea how often I've fantasised about having you underneath me again," he says.

"About as often as I've thought about you," I reply.

"Sometimes, when I really missed you, I'd look at that photo from that night and imagine what you look like now," he admits. "I can't wait to see the real thing for myself. Shall we take this through to my bedroom?"

"Yes," I reply. The coffee is all but forgotten as he links his fingers with mine and leads me towards his bedroom.

My knees are weak as he leads me inside his room and backs me up against the door. He pins my wrists either side of my head, trapping me in place, and I feel a heat pooling in my stomach. He leans down and gently nips my earlobe. I let out a small squeak and I feel his chuckle rumble against my chest.

"You alright there Nagisa?" he asks, his breath ghosting the shell of my ear and making me shiver.

"Karma..." I moan softly. I can feel his cock pressing against me through his jeans and mine and I can't stop myself from thrusting my hips up ever so slightly, relishing the friction as I start to get hard too.

"Now how do you want me to take you?" he asks as he begins trailing hot kisses down my neck. "I could take you right here, up against the door, like last time, or I could spread you out on my bed and pound you into my mattress."

"Oh fuck..." I gasp as he loosens my tie ever so slightly and his teeth scrape over my collarbone. "Please..."

"Tell me which you'd prefer and I'll do it," he says.

"I..." I begin, trying to find my voice.

"If you can't tell me then, I'll chose for you," he says, that devilish smirk back on his face again. Oh god, I know what that smirk means. That smirk means he's going to try and embarrass me as much as possible.

"The mattress," I manage to gasp as he runs his tongue up my neck to give my earlobe a gentle bite. Out of the two I think the bed would be better as he's less likely to make too many comparisons to the last time we were together.

That smirk is back again as he uses his hold on my wrists to pull me off the door and lead me over to his bed. He slips an arm around my waist, pulling me close, and his other hand massages my scalp. I reach up and clutch the front of his shirt as he kisses me, taking my breath away. Karma is like danger personified and I want nothing more than his hands on me.

He moves his kisses away from my lips to my neck again, leaving me gasping, as he starts to undo the buttons on my waistcoat. I'm still clutching the front of his shirt, desperate to anchor myself to something. He slips my waistcoat off my shoulders and lets it drop to the floor before he gives me a gentle push and I fall back onto the mattress.

I look up and him, wondering if I look as much of a mess as I feel (I bet I'm blushing and panting and all the rest of it). He reaches over and runs his thumb over my bottom lip and my breath catches in my throat.

"You're so perfect Nagisa," he says softly.

I feel a blush creep up the back of my neck and I'm about to open my mouth to protest that statement when he lips stop me. He nudges my legs apart with his knee and positions himself between them as he makes my head spin by stroking the underside of my tongue with his. With trembling fingers I reach up to undo the buttons on his shirt as he slips off my tie and leaves it on the mattress next to me.

Once he's finished with that he makes short work of my shirt buttons, being a lot more confident that I am. He slips my shirt off my shoulders, never once removing his lips from mine, and drops it over the side of the bed to the floor along with my other clothes.

He pulls back, leaving me a panting, gasping mess. He takes my tie and runs the cool material over my heated skin. I let out a soft, breathy moan, my eyes fluttering closed as he rubs his thumb over one of my nipples. God! I'd do just about anything if it meant keeping him touching me like this!

"How would you like to try something a bit different?" he asks as he slowly pushes me down until I'm lying flat on the mattress.

"How do you mean different?" I ask, interested in his take on different in a situation like this. I mean we've only slept together once before, by those standards not up against a disused sports shed is different.

"I just rather like the idea of seeing you tied up and begging," he says as that familiar smirk creeps onto his face and I can feel that fire in the pit of my stomach begin to blaze again.

"Karma..." I moan as he dips his head to flick his tongue over one of my nipples. I thread my fingers through his hair, clutching him to prove that this is real. I need to keep myself anchored to the real world otherwise it feels too much like I'm dreaming, that this is too perfect for it to be real.

"If you don't want to that's okay," he says taking hold of one of my hands and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

"I... I want to," I stammer. I can't seem to get my voice to work like a normal person's. Karma makes me too dizzy.

"Okay," he says, "then put your hands together."

I do as I'm told and put my hands together in front of my face, staring up at him as he takes my tie and gently ties my wrists together. I almost want to ask him for it to be tighter but I can't get my voice to work properly and he seems to know what he's doing so I won't worry. He did always say that he was happy to take the lead and I'm happy to let him.

"How does that feel?" he asks. "Not too tight?"

"No it's fine," I reply.

"Good."

He takes my now bound wrists and moves them above my head and, with the excess material of the tie he secures them to the headboard. I struggle a little once he's done, just to test it, but I am well and truly bound down. He watches me and I can clearly see the hunger sparking to life in his eyes.

"Now there's a sight," he says with a voice dripping with arousal.

"What?"

"You tied down and struggling," he replies. "I think I might have to bring that gag out another time."

"Oh god Karma!" I moan as he begins to slowly palm my hard cock through my jeans.

"In fact I've got quite a few fun things that we can enjoy together," he says as he leans down and begins placing kisses along my neck. "It will also give me the chance to add a few more pictures to my collection. I'd love one just after I've fucked you; you panting and blushing and covered in your own cum."

"Oh fuck!" I can't stop myself from moaning, his filthy words making me squirm from embarrassment and arousal at the same time.

"But for now I think I'm going to have to have a taste," he says.

"What?" I ask but as he begins trailing kisses down my chest and undoing my belt at the same time what he means becomes abundantly clear. He wastes no time in undoing my top button and taking the zip between his teeth, never breaking eye contact with me and I'm powerless to look away.

With my jeans undone he slowly takes them off, making sure to just brush against my cock as he does so. He drops them with the rest of my clothes once they're off and immediately turns his attention back to my cock, stroking it through my boxers. I let out a soft whimper as his hot breath hits it through my boxers and I squirm. He chuckles and places a quick kiss to the tip through my clothes.

"How are you holding up Nagisa?" he asks.

"Please Karma," I beg, hardly caring how desperate I sound, "I need more."

"If you insist," he says.

He slips my boxers off and I have to sink my teeth into my bottom lip to stop myself from crying out as the cool air hits my heated skin. Once I'm naked before him I feel a little embarrassed and I want to curl up to stop that burning gaze of his but he doesn't give me much time to try to hide as, before I can think, his mouth is on me. He trails kisses up the inside of my thigh and over my hip before he takes my cock in his mouth.

"Karma!" I moan softly as he takes all of me in. He traces his tongue up the underside to the tip, licking up the pre-cum already starting to leak out, before engulfing me again. Barely giving me time to get used to one thing before he starts another, he makes sure that I am being kept on edge for as long as possible and all the while I'm desperate not to cum from just a bit of light teasing and end the evening.

I just about hear what sounds like gel being squirted from a tube and then there is a cold finger slowly working its way into me. A low moan catches in my throat as Karma swallows around the head of my cock and begins to work a second finger into me, slowly thrusting them to prepare me for his cock.

He gives my cock a particularly hard suck, making me cry out as he slips a third finger into me. I tug at the tie but to no avail. I want to run my fingers through his hair and pull him close but I can't even get the tie to budge. Sweat is prickling the back of my neck and I can't stop myself from clenching around his fingers. As I do he moans around my cock and the vibrations make me cry out, almost screaming his name. He releases my cock, making a show of licking his lips once he's done and the sight is so hot it takes everything in me not to cum.

"You alright Nagisa?" he asks. "You look a little flushed."

"Karma please..." I begin, about to tell him that I'm ready and I need his cock, but I'm cut off by a strangled moan as he thrusts his fingers in as far as they will go, making them brush my prostate and moan loudly.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that," he says smirking.

"You're such a bastard," I gasp as he pulls his fingers out.

"That so?" he asks as he reaches into the top draw of his bedside table and pulls out a condom. "And just as I was about to give you the best sex of your life, Maybe I should leave you to sort yourself out."

"No!" I cry, my eyes wide.

"Relax," Karma chuckles, "there's no way I'm going to just leave you now."

I watch as he undoes the condom packet and slips it over his cock. My eyes are glued to his hands as he squirts more lubricant into his palm and coats his cock in it. I swallow thickly as he makes a great show of covering himself in the lubricant. He positions himself between my legs once he's done, one of his hands grasping my thigh.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks giving me one last chance to back out, not that I want one.

"I am, yeah," I reply.

"Okay."

He leans down and presses his lips to mine as he pushes into me, both of us moaning at the feeling. Once he's completely inside me he stays still for a moment, letting me adjust to the feeling and I clench my fists, desperate to touch him.

"Karma," I finally pant when I can't take it anymore, "please untie me. I want to touch you, please." I don't even care that he's reduced me to a panting, begging mess. Now that he's here, he loves me and I love him I don't want to let him go.

Without a word he reaches up and undoes the tie from the headboard and releases my wrists from each other before he begins to thrust into me. As he sets a furious pace I reach up and clutch his shoulders, the tie still hanging off one of my wrists. He drives me closer and closer to my climax all the while he's whispering in my ear about how amazing I am and how perfect but I barely hear any of it. All I can do is clutch his shoulders harder and be swept up in the pleasure of having him fuck me into his mattress.

"Gonna cum..." I gasp as he reaches down and begins to pump my cock in time with his thrusts as best he can.

"Me too," he pants, his thrusts beginning to get more and more erratic. "Together?"

"Yeah," I pant as he hits my prostate again.

A few more thrusts and I'm totally gone, reaching my orgasm and cumming over both our stomachs. I feel him explode inside me as I tighten around him and he presses his lips to mine. He continues to thrust to make sure that we both ride out the high, pressing his forehead to mine as we both fight to catch our breath. I close my eyes as he kisses me deeply.

"I love you," he whispers and in that moment I know that there is no way that I can kill him now, if there was any way that I would have been able to in the first place.

"I love you too."

 **Oh Nagisa your life choices are as questionable as mine are XD**


	9. Ten Deep Breaths

**I have had a very long, very trying day but editing this helped lol hope you enjoy :D**

"Are you sure you don't want me to give you a lift home?" Karma asks as we leave the office at the end of the day, his fingers linked with mine. "I don't even have to take you home, you could come back to mine and we could..." he finishes by leaning down and giving the shell of my ear a playful bite. I don't stop the shiver, knowing exactly what he means.

"I can't," I laugh but I don't push him away as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close. "You want this paperwork done for tomorrow or not?"

"I'm your boss," Karma whines playfully, giving me a squeeze, "I can give you an extension." He leans down and kisses my neck. I don't try to stop him but, in fact, tilt my head to the side so that he has better access.

"I'm sure Head Office would love to know that you gave me said extension just so that you could tie me to you bed for the evening," I chuckle, tailing off to gasp as he scrapes his teeth just under my ear. Damn he makes it so hard to say no!

"I suppose you're right," he says.

"Give me tonight to get this finished and then tomorrow you can have me all night and do whatever you want with me," I say. I lean up on tiptoes to give his earlobe a gentle bite and I feel rather than hear the groan that causes. I do like knowing that I can make him weak at the knees as well.

"Whatever I want?" he asks. "Gags, blindfolds, handcuffs, the whole nine yards?"

"Anything," I reply, smirking playfully at him.

"Fuck me, you're amazing!" he says. He takes hold of my face and pulls me up into a kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him back, not even caring that we're out in public and this should be really embarrassing. All I can think about is Karma.

"So is that a yes?" I ask as he pulls back. "You'll let me work tonight and have your way with me tomorrow?"

"With an offer like that how can I refuse?" he asks.

"Good," I say and kiss him again. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I untangle myself from his embrace, it's hard because he doesn't want me to leave and I really didn't want to leave either. At the corner of the street I turn to wave at him before I disappear round the corner.

"Hey Nagisa," he calls, "when is the lease up on your current place?"

"I'm not sure," I reply, "but I can find out. Why?"

"Maybe when it is we can think about moving in somewhere together," he says and I can't stop the smile from splitting my face in half, my heart swelling.

"That would be nice," I say.

"We can talk more about it tomorrow but I just thought it was something we could think about," he says.

"Okay," I say, "see you tomorrow."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I can't stop smiling as I begin my walk home. The idea of moving in with Karma sounds too perfect for words. I can go back to teaching and it will be like the last fifteen years apart never happened.

My phone begins to buzz in my pocket and I wonder if it's Karma but as I pull it out I see it's Karasuma calling. I know why he's calling; he's not going to be happy that I've basically abandoned my assignment in favour of dating my target. I hit the reject button and put my phone back in my pocket.

"If you keep doing that he's just going to keep calling until you finally pick up," a familiar voice says.

I stop. I should have known it was only a matter of time before Karasuma sent someone to check up on me.

"What do you want Hella-Bitch?" I ask resorting to her old nickname and going on the offensive.

"That's nice," she says, stepping out of the shadows to stand in front of me. "Name calling, that's really mature, and here I am being nice coming to see how you are."

"I highly doubt you're here for a cosy little chat," I say.

"Well you got me there," she says shrugging.

"So why are you here?" I ask. I'm not in the mood for small talk and I know the lecture that I'm going to get is only going to piss me off so I want to get it over with as soon as possible.

"Karasuma sent me," she says as if that wasn't obvious.

"And?" I ask. I shouldn't be this openly hostile towards her but I can't seem to help it. Just knowing that I'm going to get a lecture for not killing someone I never wanted to kill in the first place is making me want to behave like a passive aggressive teenager.

"He's getting impatient," she replies. "The job should already be done by now, why are you dragging this out?"

"I'm biding my time," I lie.

"Well I'd move it on if I were you," she says, "because if you won't finish you assignment he's going to send someone else to finish it for you."

"I thought I was the only one who _could_ do this job," I say, not even bothering to not sound like a snarky bastard.

"Not when you're taking this long," she says.

"Fine," I say. Whether that 'fine' means I'll get it done or go ahead and send someone else I don't speculate. I don't even know myself really.

She stares at me for a moment, probably trying to work out the best way to deal with me before she gives up and sighs.

"Listen Nagisa if you want my advice, for what it's worth, I'd either finish the job or get out now because it will be too painful for you otherwise," she says.

"What?"

"I've seen the way you look at him," she replies. "I know you love him and I know you can't bring yourself to do it."

"Well aren't you perceptive and sensitive all of a sudden," I say rolling my eyes.

"I'm serious Nagisa," she snaps. "Have you thought about how it's going to feel if you watch him die because someone else kills him first?"

Oh god!

I'd never even thought about it like that. If Karasuma sends someone else then there is a chance they would kill him while I'm with him and I'd have to watch him die. All the fight suddenly goes out of me and I feel tears pricking the corners of my eyes.

"I don't think I can do this," I say, choking on the emotions threatening to strangle me. As if I would have been able to do this in the first place – it's Karma. Regardless of what I feel for him now I never would have been able to do it because of what he already meant to me.

"I'm sorry he put this on you," she says and, in a rare moment of kindness, she also lets her guard down and pulls me into a hug.

"How do you do it?" I ask as she pulls away. "How do you kill someone when everything is telling you to keep them alive?"

"Ask me again if someone ever puts a price on Karasuma's head," she replies with a wry smile.

* * *

I think about Irena's words all night and well into the next morning. I know that I'm stalling for time and if I keep doing that then Karasuma will send someone else and I can't handle the idea of someone else killing him, especially now.

"Hey," Karma says softly, breaking me out of my train of thought with a gentle hand on my wrist, "are you okay?"

"What?"

"You look like you're in some deep, serious thought there," he says.

"No I'm fine," I say shaking my head and forcing myself to smile at him. He studies me for a moment. He can tell that I'm lying, I know he can. He laces his fingers with mine, slips his other hand round the back of my neck and pulls me in for a kiss.

"I love you," he says as he pulls away.

"I love you too."

"Whatever it is that's suddenly got you all serious, if you want to tell me you can and we can work it out together," he says.

"Okay," I say. I can feel a lump forming in my throat, tears are threatening to prick the corners of my eyes and it takes everything in me not to break down and tell him everything that's going on.

"Listen I've got a boring meeting that I need to go to but how about we go somewhere and talk when I get out?"

"Okay," I mumble and nod. He leans down and kisses me again.

"Whatever it is that's got you making that face I can help you through it," he says.

I don't think he can but I don't say so, I just go with him to the door of his office but as he opens the door I suddenly get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I breeze past Karma as quickly as possible to leave the office first and, just as I suspect I see a man standing behind the door, holding a gun. My reflexes are still as sharp as anything and without thinking I clap my hands together in front of his face, using my old clap stunner to freeze him in place. He stops suddenly and I open the door wider so that Karma won't see him.

"You alright?" Karma asks regarding me with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," I lie smiling at him, "you get to your meeting and I'll see you later."

"Don't miss me too much," he chuckles. He leans down and kisses me before he turns and leaves. I wait until the door is closed behind him before I round on the man behind me, rage fuelling me, and I grab him by the collar.

"Who sent you?" I snarl.

"I ain't telling you shit," the man snarls. Using all the strength that I have, I slam the man up against the wall. I'm not going to take no for an answer.

"I said who sent you?" I hiss again.

"Alright, alright," the man gasps as I tighten my grip on his collar, "Karasuma sent me."

"Why?" I ask.

"He said you were taking too long," he says. "Said the job needed to be finished so he sent me to do it."

"Hear me when I say this," I tell him shoving him up against the wall again, fuelled by nothing but rage and adrenaline, "Karma Akabane is my target, no one is going to kill him but me. If I see you anywhere near my target again I'll kill you myself. Now get out."

I shove him into the wall again and let go of him. He doesn't say anything just stares at me in surprise for a moment and then leaves. I wait until the door closes behind him and he's gone before I sink to the floor, place my head in my hands and sob.


	10. The Second And Last Trigger

**So here's where it gets tense, hope you enjoy :)**

I can't face being in the office, mostly because I don't think I can face Karma when he gets back. If I hadn't have got that feeling or if I had reacted a second slower then he would have been killed and it would have been my fault because I didn't get on and do the job fast enough. I stayed and got attached and I let my emotions get the better of me. I let my guard down and I allowed myself room to fall for him.

I leave him a note that says I don't feel overly well and that I've gone home but I can't even bring myself to go back there. All I can do is wonder aimlessly through the streets trying to work out what I should do next.

After a little while my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out to a text from Karma. I'm glad that he's sent me a text because I don't think I could handle hearing his voice at the moment. My hands are even shaking as I open the message.

'Meet me up in the mountains in two hours, by the old sports shed, I love you, Kx'

I tap out a quick reply and say that I'll be there before I can stop myself. This is just the effect that he has on me. I put my phone back in my pocket and begin to slowly make my way towards the direction of the mountains. If I'm moving as slowly as I have been it could very well take me two hours to get there and I need the time to sort my head out before I see him so that I don't just break down.

* * *

By the time I get to the old sport shed Karma is already waiting for me. That kind of makes sense as I was dawdling and he probably took the short cut to get here. I worry my lip between my bottom teeth and look up at him. His face is impassive and it's impossible for me to even hazard a guess at what he's thinking.

"Hey," I say timidly. A part of me has been wondering if he is angry at me for bolting in the middle of the day but this isn't exactly news. He knows I do this, hell I did this last time we were here. He comes over to me, reaches over and brushes my fringe out of my eyes.

"What's going on with you Nagisa?" he asks.

"Nothing," I lie shrugging.

"You never were a very good liar," he says on a breathy laugh. "At least, I can always tell when you're lying."

"I'm sorry," I mumble.

"It's okay," he says, "just tell me what's going on. I can help you."

The words are like a knife in my heart because I know that there isn't anything he can do to help. I feel tears at the corners of my eyes and I really don't want to start crying now otherwise I'll never stop.

"There isn't anything you can do," I say quietly.

"Nagisa," he says and he takes my hand, "I thought I had lost you and now you're here with me again. I've waited for you for too long to just give up on you now. I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives but I can't do that unless you tell me what's going on. Whatever it is, we can work it out together."

"I don't think we can," I say, my voice trembling.

"You won't know unless you try," he says.

I can't tell him. I can't tell him the real reason why I'm suddenly back in his life again but, I suppose if I do tell him he might be able to prepare for it if Karasuma sends more people to try and kill him.

"It's a long story," I warn him.

"I've got time," he shrugs with a smile.

I take a deep breath. If I'm going to do this then I'm going to start properly from the beginning.

"Okay so you remember after Korosensei died and we all had the choice to give up being assassins and just have normal lives? Well I never did," I tell him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean a few months after I started at High School Karasuma asked me if I could work my magic and help him kill someone," I tell him. "I said yes because the pay off was good and my parents were struggling a bit for money at the time and I guess I never stopped."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Karma asks.

"I don't know," I shrug. "I guess I just didn't want to be a burden to anyone."

"But we were best friends," he says, placing his hands on my waist and pulling me close, "you could have told me anything."

"I'm sorry," I say, "I just didn't think."

"So you kept up with the assassination thing and then what?" he asks.

"Then, about a month ago, Karasuma gave me my new target," I say. "I thought I could do it, I could just get the assignment done and get out but, as it turns out I couldn't, I fucked up. I fucked up so badly."

"I think I know where this is going but I'm going to ask anyway," he says, "but who was your target?"

"You," I reply.

"Of course," he says with a wry smile.

"But I fucked up," I say, tears starting to spill from my eyes, "I wasn't supposed to fall for you. I tried so hard not to but I couldn't stop myself. I never wanted to do this in the first place, there was no way I would ever have been able to do it."

The tears are coming faster now and Karma places his hand on the back of my head and pulls me into his chest. I cling to the front of his jacket, allowing myself to cry as he gently strokes my hair.

"It's okay," he whispers soothingly.

"How can you say that?" I ask, looking up at him. "I lied to you, I kept secrets from you and, because I haven't done the job fast enough, Karasuma is going to start sending people who _will_ get the job done."

"That is potentially problematic," he says.

"Potentially problematic?" I ask.

"Okay very problematic," he corrects himself.

"He's really serious about this," I say. "Karasuma already sent someone this afternoon and he'll start sending his best and I can't watch you die. Not knowing that all of this was my fault."

"How is all of this your fault?" he asks.

"I could have said no," I reply. "I didn't want to do this in the first place, because I don't like having people I know as targets – it's too painful – but I caved and said I'd do it and to top it all off I dragged Itona into it as well."

"What do you mean?"

"We were never a couple," I admit.

"But it was a way to get my attention," he says, finishing the thought for me.

"I'm sorry," I say. God, he's going to hate me now. I am literally the worst so I am very surprised when he gives my hair a ruffle and chuckles.

"You're such a dumbass," he says. "You already had my attention."

"But I just keep fucking things up no matter what I do," I say tears falling down my cheeks again. "This has all gotten so fucked up."

"That doesn't make this your fault," he says wiping away some of the tears still slowly making tracks down my face with his thumb.

"But I..." I start to protest. No matter what he says this feels like my fault. I shouldn't have let it go this far; I should have put a stop to it as soon as I found out I had feelings for Karma but before I can voice any of this I'm silences by his lips on mine.

"There must be a reason there's a price on my head so it can't all be your fault," he says.

"Karma..." I can't even finish my sentence. I fling my arms around his neck and cry into his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly, as if that will stop me from breaking completely. He presses a kiss to my temple before he pulls away and presses a kiss to my lips that makes me melt.

"Please don't cry," he says. "I don't want to see you sad."

"I'm sorry," I say and try to smile through the tears.

"I'm so glad I found you again Nagisa," he says smiling at me. "Even if it was orchestrated that way so you could kill me, I'm just happy I got to see you again and tell you how much I love you."

"I'm sorry," I say, dissolving into fresh tears.

"You don't need to be sorry," he whispers as he pulls me close again and I wish time would just stop and keep us in this moment forever: just me and him.

But it doesn't.

There is no way that it can.

Karma pulls away from the embrace he's had me in all this time and pulls something out of his back pocket. In the glowing moonlight I can't quite see what it is but as he presses it into my hand and my fingers close around it I immediately know what it is.

"What?" I ask, looking at the gun in my hand an then looking back at him.

"If you kill me then it's over, right?" he asks.

"What?" I ask again. What is he saying? This can't be happening. Not now, not like this. I still haven't been able to stop crying and it's just going to get worse again. I can just about make out some sort of writing on the side of the gun through the tears but not enough to be able to tell what it says.

"If you shoot me then it's over, there won't be anyone coming after either of us," he says.

"Well no but..."

"I love you Nagisa," he says. He takes a step towards me, takes hold of the hand holding the gun and moves it so that the barrel is pressed against where his heart is.

"I love you too," I say, my voice strangled by tears.

"Pull the trigger."

"I can't."

"Yes you can," he tells me. He leans down and kisses me, entwining his fingers in my hair as he slips his hand around the back of my head. "Everything will be alright, I promise."

"How can it?" I ask.

"Trust me," he says and I do.

I shut my eyes tightly and grip the gun with both hands to stop myself from shaking. I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this! His hand is on my hair again and I open my eyes and look up at him through the tears. I feel a strange wave of calm wash over me and I feel a little bit stronger... he always did have this effect on me. He smiles and I just about manage to return it. He reaches over and ineffectively wipes away my tears. They are replaced with new ones instantly but neither of us say anything. I take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger.

The gun goes off and all I can do is sink to my knees and sob as the world collapses around me.


	11. Leave The World To Mourn

**So here is the aftermath of the last chapter, hope you enjoy :)**

"It's done," I tell Karasuma as I close the door of his office behind me a few hours later.

"Excuse me?" he asks looking up from his paperwork.

"Karma," I reply simply. "It's done."

He seems to want to say something in response to that but seems to think better of it and closes his mouth. Instead he just nods his head in acknowledgement, looking as serious and stoic as ever.

"Thank you Nagisa," he says. "I understand how hard this was for you."

"No you don't," I reply.

My chest aches. I feel like something has been torn out of me. Pulling that trigger on Karma was just as hard as killing Korosensei but at least then I had the rest of my class to mourn with me. Now I just feel numb and empty. I have no more tears to cry but I'm pretty sure my eyes are red and blotchy and my face is a mess.

"Maybe not," he says and I can see that he's trying at least.

He reaches under the desk and pulls out a briefcase. He puts it on the table, opens it and turns it to show me the money inside. "As promised; your reward."

"Thanks," I say. I can't even begin to care and it is a physical effort not to just tell him that I don't want it.

"I appreciate everything you've done Nagisa," he says as he closes the briefcase, "it was difficult but unfortunately, under the circumstances, it was a necessary action to take." I'm barely even listening to him anymore, I'm just stuck inside my own head.

"Don't contact me again," I say suddenly, finally making a decision I should have made a long time ago. Karasuma blinks at me, quite taken by surprise.

"Pardon?"

"I'm leaving town," I tell him. "I have no plans to stay here anymore, there's nothing to keep me here."

"What about your class?" he asks.

"I haven't been their teacher for a while now, they don't need me," I tell him.

"And your other job?" he asks.

"I quit," I reply, knowing full well which job he means.

"You are one of the best we have," he says.

"That doesn't matter anymore," I say. "I'm not doing it again and you won't be able to contact me."

"Is disappearing altogether really the best option?" he asks. "We have grief councillors you can talk to."

"I want to leave," I say letting him know that this is not up for discussion; my decision is final. I'm leaving town and I'm not coming back. Karasuma seems to think this over for a moment before he nods.

"If you really want to leave then I won't try to convince you to stay," he says.

"Thank you."

"If you do ever reconsider, though, you know where to find me," he says and I do have to give him some credit for trying.

"Thank you," I say. "I won't but thank you."

I pick up the briefcase and turn to leave when Karasuma stands up and comes round to my side of the desk. He holds his hand out to me and I take it.

"Thank you for everything you've done Nagisa," he says. "I have greatly appreciated all your help over the years."

"No problem," I say, "and thanks for all you've done too. Not this but the other stuff you've done for me." He lets go of my hand and I leave.

Once I'm outside I lean against the closed door and let out the breath I hadn't realised I was holding. I pull the gun out of my back pocket and now that I'm under proper light I can read what it says on the side. I stare at it, trying to wrap my head around what I'm reading, and my phone vibrates. I swap that out for the gun and my breath catches in my throat as I see who the message is from. With a shaking hand I open it and, for the second time that night, I feel as if the world has come to a grinding halt.

* * *

"You sure I can't convince you to stay?" Itona asks as I sling a backpack full of some essential things I'm going to need on my shoulder.

"Nah," I reply, "I just need to get out of town and away from everything."

"That makes sense," he says shrugging. "I guess I'm going to have to look for a new person to live with now."

"Maybe you can see if you can find one that isn't a problematic assassin," I chuckle.

"Yeah but where's the fun in that?" he asks.

"Thanks for everything Itona," I say after a pause.

"Don't sweat it," he says. "I'd be a shit friend if I didn't help you out."

"True."

"I know you're dropping off the radar but ping me an email every once in a while just so I know you're still alive," he says.

"I will," I say and pull a piece a paper out of my pocket and give it to him.

"What's this?"

"My new phone number," I reply. "You're the only one I'm giving it to though."

"I'll save it under another name just in case anyone tries to go through my phone," he says.

"Thanks Itona," I smile.

"Take care of yourself Nagisa," he says and pulls me into a tight hug.

"You too." I hug him back with equal force, desperately trying not to break down in tears again. I'll have to get him to come out and visit when I'm more settled. "I'd better get going."

"Good luck," he says as I press my key into his palm.

"You know me," I say and give him a small smile, "I'll be fine."

I leave the house and go out to the taxi that is waiting out the front. I turn and wave at him and he waves back before I get into the back seat. I sigh as I relax into the seat. Fingers entwine with mine and give my hand a squeeze.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I reply. "You?"

"Not too bad," he says. He rubs his chest and winces slightly. "Those Anti-Sensei BBs hurt like hell at point-blank range though."

"I still can't believe you kept hold of one of those guns," I laugh.

"You know me," he shrugs. "I am resourceful."

"I'm glad," I say smiling. "So where do we go from here?" I ask after a pause.

"Wherever we want to," he says. "We can find a hotel for tonight and then work it out in the morning."

"That sounds like a good plan."

There is a moment of silence and he squeezes my hand. I give his a squeeze back and smile as he leans over and kisses me softly.

"I love you Nagisa," he says as he pulls back.

"I love you too."


	12. Epilogue

**Hey guys so here is the last installment, I had no idea that this was going to blow up like this - thank you so much for all your reads and review, they've meant so much to me this past month, love you all and I hope you enjoy this last extra bit**

Kayano walks through the streets of a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. She hums to herself as she does, not paying all that much attention to what is going on around her but at the same time making sure to check out every face for the one she was looking for. This was starting to become tedious after three months and she was beginning to wonder if she should just tell Karasuma where he could shove it.

Her phone begins to vibrate in her pocket so she pulls it out and checks the caller ID. _Speak of the devil and he shall arrive..._ She presses the answer button and hold the phone to her ear, waiting a second before speaking.

"Go for Kaede."

"Kayano," Karasuma says sounding as serious as ever, "how is everything going?"

"It's all fine," she says looking around as she walks into a small park with a shrine and a fountain in the centre.

"Have you found him yet?" he asks.

"By him I'm assuming you mean Nagisa," she replies.

"Where are you now?" Karasuma asks.

"Not sure," she says looking around for some kind of sign and finding nothing. "Middle of bum-fuck nowhere."

"This must be one of the last places where he could be though," Karasuma says. Kayano rolls her eyes. _Still got a one track mind..._

"Didn't he tell you not to contact him?" she asks.

"Well yes but what he went through was a very traumatic experience," Karasuma says, "I need to know that he is alright." _That's a nice sentiment at least._ Karasuma is trying even if he is still a bit useless when it comes to feelings.

"I'm sure he's fine," Kayano says. "Nagisa is made of sterner stuff than you seem to give him credit for."

"I know he is," Karasuma says. "I just need to know..."

"You just need to know he hasn't offed himself," she finishes for him.

"In a sense."

"I still think you're worrying over nothing," she says as she looks over at the fountain. "Nagisa doesn't have a suicidal streak, he probably just needed some space."

"And while I'm sure you're right I just..." Karasuma begins but Kayano is no longer listening. Something far more interesting that what Karasuma is currently saying has caught her attention.

Over by the fountain two men are sat on a bench, one has his arm around the other and the other one has the bluest eyes Kayano has ever seen. _I've only ever seen eyes like that on one person before..._ She weaves her way through the crowd, getting closer to them so that she can have a look but not close enough that they will see her.

From a distance they had just looked like two ordinary men – one is a little on the girlie side with shaggy brown hair, while the other is a lot taller with sleek black hair. Now that she's closer though she can see the faint hint of a natural blue coming through on the crown of the girlie one's head.

The girlie one laughs at something the other says and Kayano would know that smile anywhere. The other leans over and kisses his paramour who reaches up to tangle his fingers in black hair. It shifts slightly, confirming Kayano's suspicion that its a wig, and she sees a flash of red as it moves.

There's no mistaking who these two are.

"Kayano?" Karasuma asks. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah I'm still here," she replies. "Got distracted by a dog, sorry."

"Is this really the time to be getting distracted?" he asks and she can hear the disappointment in his voice.

"But it was so cute and tiny," she whines, lying through her teeth.

"Kayano..."

"Alright fine," she pretends to huff. "He's not here anyway and this is the last possible place I can look while still in Japan. If you want my opinion, I'd say he's left the country."

"I suppose he did have enough money to do so if he wanted," Karasuma muses.

"So am I done here?" Kayano asks.

"Yes," Karasuma sighs after a short pause. "Thank you for your hard work."

"Don't sweat it," Kayano says before hanging up the phone. She looks over at the two men – her old friends – still with eyes only for each other, and smiles. "Good luck guys."

* * *

Nagisa suddenly bristles, turning to look into the crowd. He had felt like the two of them were being watched but as he scans the crowd there is no one there paying any attention to either of them.

"You okay?" Karma asks. Nagisa shakes his head and smiles up at him.

"Yeah sorry," he says. "I just had the weirdest moment where I thought I saw Kayano."

"Kayano?"

"Yeah I must be seeing things though," he replies. "There's no reason for her to be out this far."

"True," Karma says. He reaches up and runs his fingers through Nagisa's hair, inspecting the tiny bits of blue poking out among the brown. "Please tell me you're growing out the dye-job, I much prefer your natural colour."

"I should have gone for the wig as well," Nagisa says giving the fringe of Karma's wig a gentle tug, "but I'll be way too easy to spot if I grow it out."

"Well you do have all of that reward money for killing me," Karam says, "we could go and live in another country."

"Okay," Nagsia chuckles, "where do you want to live?"

"Anywhere," Karma replies. "We can go wherever we want."

"How about America?" Nagisa suggests.

"America is kind of on fire at the moment."

"How about England?"

"Also kind of on fire."

"How about..."

"I'm going to say anywhere in Europe or that side of the world is out because it's basically on fire," Karma says.

"Fine," Nagisa laughs. "How about Australia?"

"What, the land where everything is trying to kill you?"

"How about New Zealand then?" Nagisa asks. "The worst thing that can happen there is Hobbits." Karma thinks about this for a moment.

"I can go live with Hobbits," he says, "you know, considering that I already live with one."

"I am not a Hobbit!" Nagisa pouts.

"Yeah you are," Karma teases, "but you're my Hobbit." Nagisa blushes and looks away.

"Oh shut up," he mumbles.

Karma just chuckles. He takes hold of Nagisa's chin and tilts his face upwards so that he can lean down and press a soft but heated kiss to Nagisa's lips. Nagisa melts into the kiss almost instantly, reaching up to clutch the front of Karma's jacket.

"I love you Nagisa,"Karma says as he pulls away.

"I love you too," Nagisa replies. Karma wraps his arm around Nagisa's shoulders and pulls him into a hug. Nagisa rests his head on Karma's shoulder and sighs happily. This is all he needs; as long as he has Karma then everything will work out alright in the end regardless of what country they're in.

 _THE END_


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